Demon Bound
by Icy Cake
Summary: The Dark Guild Tartaros is on the move spreading fear and destruction in their wake and it's up to Gray and his guild to stop them. However, he is about to find out that being forever soul-bound to an ancient, powerful demon has its consequences and can potentially change the outcome of this upcoming war against evil. Sort of a spin-off to Stormbringer.
1. On the Brink

A/N: Welcome, everyone, to a new experimental story of mine. This isn't exactly a direct sequel to Stormbringer, my One-Piece/Fairy Tail crossover story, since the world of One Piece will not be involved and will only be briefly mentioned. Consider this a 'spin-off' that looks into what might happen after the end of Stormbringer and the possible consequences that could follow. It will focus only on Fairy Tail's side, hence why I have chosen to put it in the Fairy Tail category and not the crossover section.

No, you do not have to read _Stormbringer_ first in order to read this if you have yet to do so; I don't want to force anyone to. In the first part below I've briefly summarized some of the events and important parts that had taken place in _Stormbringer_ that are vital to following along with this story. I encourage newcomers to take a gander at it to better understand the setting as well as the characters.

Now, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>The Lost Pirates and the Black Ocean Gate<strong>

It happened over seven years ago, before the examinations for the S-Class Trials had even begun.

Lucy was in another desperate need of rent money and took on a job that involved a gang of pirates invading an island off the western coast of Fiore. The A Rank mission sounded simple, asking for mages to eliminate or repel the pirates before they raid the port town or perform other nefarious acts. Lucy had invited Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza to join her and they all agreed to form a team.

It was supposed to be an easy mission… but it wasn't.

The pirates weren't enemies to the townsfolk at all, but a small crew lost in a world they didn't belong in. A terrible evil had brought them to Earthland from their vast ocean world; one that had summoned a storm powerful enough to destroy half of the port town. After learning about this, Team Natsu had offered to help the pirates search for a way back home. The Fairy Tail mages and the Straw Hat pirates had joined forces that day and began their journey together out into the open sea.

The evil they searched for had showed itself before them days after they left port. It was an enormous sea demon, with wicked eyes that glowed a sinister green, flesh that was black and rotting, and terrible jaws full of long, sharp teeth that could snap their ship in two. Lucy had nicknamed it 'Stormbringer' because conjuring storms was its power; which was highly devastating for a ship in the middle of an ocean. Through teamwork the two groups managed to defend their vessel and send the demon literally flying away.

With the mages suspecting the demon was being controlled by dark mages, they had followed the injured serpent to an uncharted, hidden island far out in the middle of nowhere. Despite not knowing what they were getting into, the mages and pirates split into two teams: one to guard the ship, and one to search the island to gather information and find out who was behind the summoning.

Gray had stayed on the ship with two members of the Straw Hats, Franky and Usopp, and successfully defended the pirates' vessel from one angry, giant sea demon. However, he was washed overboard and was nearly devoured by the demon, but through quick-thinking and with the last of his strength he protected himself at the last second.

He had awoken much later within a pitch-black cavern only to find the evil demon sharing the same darkness. It was then he had learned of what was truly happening on the island that was better known as the _Black Ocean Gate_. The evil serpent was both a prisoner and a slave, forced to do the bidding of one wicked, powerful old man who possessed the ancient artifact, the Anima Stone. Sealed inside the Stone was half of the demon's soul and because of its existence, the fiend's will could be manipulated with ease and death would never come to the pitiful creature no matter how much it desired it.

It had asked for Gray to bring upon its own demise by seeking out the destruction of the Anima Stone. But in order for the mage to succeed in obtaining the artifact, the demon was willing to grant him power. Exhausted and drained of all magic, Gray had no choice but to reluctantly agree. Together they formed a _Blood Pact_; a dark, ancient, forbidden blood magic that required the exchange of half of Gray's soul with the demon's to form an ultimate bond.

Gray had gained immeasurable demonic power but it was not enough to put a stop to the mages who controlled the demon serpent named Tuirehal. He was taken down and captured before turned into their obedient slave, replacing Tuirehal's position.

He was forced to fight his own friends against his will, nearly killing them with his awful new powers. When all seemed hopeless and lost, it was Tuirehal who appeared and sacrificed its life. By dying, Gray's life perished as well and the powerful spells that controlled him had been broken and dispelled.

However, death had only been temporary due to the power of the Anima Stone – an important fact the evil mages did not know, giving Gray the perfect chance for a surprise attack upon his revival. The master of the island was no more and with his death followed the defeat of his subordinates.

Tuirehal was free and the pirates had a way to return back home. After Fairy Tail had opened the portal to send their new friends back to their own world, there was one last task for Gray to do.

Combining his power with Tuirehal's, they summoned a devastating storm of incredible magnitude that raged on for seven days, sealing the entire island under ice and making it completely uninhabitable and impassable. It was unreachable by ship as well for the surrounding ocean was frozen solid with glaciers that stretched tens of kilometers out at sea, covered in massive crystal tides that were tens of meters tall.

Both demon and human had expended their power until none was left, forcing Tuirehal to fall into a deep sleep where its body was then sealed within Gray's blood-infused ice.

While the demon slept, the power Gray had gained fell dormant, allowing him to resume his normal life again. The incident on the island and the Blood Pact felt like a distant memory for Gray and his friends as time, (for the most part), continued on.

However, little did he know it was all about to change with the evil forces of Tartaros plunging the world into turmoil and personally waging a war against Fairy Tail.

Hell will soon rise in the battle against darkness and only the strongest will prevail...

* * *

><p><strong>On the Brink<br>**

When Gray Fullbuster opened his eyes, he was no longer in bed, but standing in a black abyss that was as frigid as the coldest winter night. The cold was penetrating and unnerving, capable of making the Ice-Make mage shiver despite his immunity to low temperatures. He wasn't alone; there was another being lurking within the endless shadow – its dark, sinister presence always known but never seen whenever Gray dreamt of nothing but shadows. Until now.

A pair of eerie, glowing green orbs emerged from the darkness before him; eyes that were surprisingly human-like in size. Then, as if a curtain was slowly drawn open from a window, the darkness crawled away to reveal the world once hidden in shadow and the true form of the being who ruled its realm.

Shocked, Gray's breath was taken away at the familiar sight around him. He stood within a vast, open chamber made entirely of bluish-white ice which was the main hall of the grand temple-palace Gray had created with his own two hands. Rows of ornate columns held up the enormous domed roof that depicted a stylized sea serpent whose head spiraled towards the centre. New to the place were tall, spiny spires and large, jagged formations of ice that jutted from the floor, congregating around the chamber's center to form treacherous steps and a tall, frozen throne. Behind it was the enormous mound of crimson ice that stretched down the grand hall and disappeared within the endless darkness beyond the reach of light.

And seated lazily within the high throne was Gray's other half – a young man who looked nearly identical to the mage, but with eyes that were green, vibrant and fierce and hair that was as white as freshly fallen snow. He was dressed in the same attire Gray had left him back on the cursed island; a pair of black pants, barefooted, and a long button-less white coat with the sleeves crusted in pale frost.

One leg was dangling over what appeared to be the throne's armrest and he leaned heavily on his elbow on the other, propping the side of his head up on knuckles covered in ice. A thorny crown of crystal would complete the look of an extremely bored, evil king of this dark and frozen palace.

"_Sera-shi assa ka-sha, shawlr,_" greeted the unholy being in a voice that was not Gray's but the loud, deep, and snarling tone of the great sea demon named _Tuirehal. _The hissing words reverberated throughout the vast room and made the hairs on the back of Gray's neck stand on end; _Welcome to my domain, child._

The Ice-Make mage snapped out of his shock and furrowed his brow in slight confusion. Never had he experienced this before; where he stood within the great palace he had personally molded, facing a demonically possessed version of _himself_. This wasn't a dream – he was made aware of that fact. But it wasn't entirely real either. He wasn't actually standing in the grand hall of the frozen temple he had created for Tuirehal back on the black island. This place was a part of his mind; somewhere deep within his subconsciousness – perhaps even his shared soul.

Gray took a few wary steps forward, his bare feet quietly padding against the ice that made up the floor. "The hell's going on? You should be sleeping," he demanded, his breath misting in the freezing air. And not to mention the reinforced seal Master had given him was still in place, imbued into the necklace he always wore. It was supposed to suppress the demonic entity if it were ever to stir from its slumber.

His demonic half narrowed his gaze, boring into the other with utter disdain. "I _was_ asleep," Tuirehal lowly spat in the human tongue, "For over seven of your short human years, I have slept undisturbed. But now I am not fully asleep nor am I fully awake. My body slumbers, however my mind has become restless. All because of your incompetence. You had to go and get yourself killed like a damn fool."

Gray gritted his teeth at the horrid memory that resurfaced, where his body was torn by deadly, searing lasers spewed from the mouths of the ugly little dragon babies during the chaos that broke out at the end of the Grand Magic Games. However, he did not truly die; he couldn't die, not when the demon half of his soul was bound to the world of the living through an ancient artifact that was safely hidden away by the master of Fairy Tail.

Tuirehal had awoken then, triggered by the painful death of Gray. Seeking vengeance, the demon's fearsome power became the mage's when they were both revived. But the moment lasted only mere seconds because time had been reversed, turning Gray's death and Tuirehal's awakening into a remnant thought.

"It haunts you – plagues you like a withering disease. You dream of that moment every night. And what you dream, I must suffer through it as well," the demon continued bitterly. "How am I to sleep with your accursed nightmares ruining mine?"

Gray snorted, but said nothing having no good answer.

His other half's lips twisted into a thin, cruel smile, knowing full-well what troubled the teen. They were one of mind and soul after all, there were no secrets between them. "You are afraid of my power returning. You are afraid of harming _her_."

The Ice-Make mage lowered his gaze to the clenched fist by his side. The memory was vivid; the moment when he first opened his eyes, reborn from death and imbued with an incredible, daunting power… He had found Juvia's hands clasped around his, but she was completely frozen; her whole body turned into solid ice with crystal tears streaking down her saddened face.

It was a horrifying sight – one that continued to haunt him to this day. If it were not for Ultear's sacrifice… Gray wasn't sure what would have happened. Would Juvia still be alive? Or would she have died due to his power overwhelming hers?

Juvia didn't remember being frozen when Gray had confronted her about it. She only remembered his gruesome death and nothing more. Lyon, however, saw what Gray had become and had even tried to draw out the truth when things had settled, but the younger mage was reluctant to share.

"What you fear most may never come true, child, so long as you do not fall before another lowly pest. However, there is the matter with those _false demons_ wreaking havoc on your lands and the one called a _Devil Slayer_," Tuirehal hissed the title in contempt. He shifted in his seat, soundly breaking the thin layer of frost that covered his sleeves and hands, to lean against the backrest that towered a meter above his snow-white head. His eyes shone bright with malice.

"When you manipulated the cursed ice that froze that village, you had sensed it, did you not? It was the power of a demon's – the power to slay another demon with ease – but it was not magic, not like yours and not like mine. The wretch who turned you into a puny, sniveling whelp reeked the same foul aura. In spite of their unknown power, they are still _inferior_. Lesser fiends. Mere spawns of a wretched human! If you dare fall in disgrace against such lowly dreck, then I will have no choice but to fully awaken."

"That won't ever happen," Gray stated, steeling against the other's fervent glower with one of his own. He was confident in his own abilities. His will to fight and protect the ones he loved was strong and unwavering. He didn't need the dark, cursed power sealed within his heart and soul to prevail over evil.

"Prove your words true," his other half challenged, folding his arms and crossing one leg over the other. The ice that broke off his fingers from the movement reformed within a second, soundly crackling as it spread. "Slay those accursed beings before they slay you and your worthless companions. You have grown stronger on your own, but will that strength be enough? You struggled to win against the wretch in the Sun Village so how will you conquer the rest? You may not be as fortunate to find out their weaknesses before it is too late. If you fail…"

Suddenly, there was movement coming from within the blood-red ice. A massive, black shadowy creature began to emerge from the scarlet crystal like a waking ghost. Rising on a long neck, the giant snake-like fiend had eyes that glowed the same sinister green as the one who sat upon the frozen throne, but much monstrous in size and with pupils that were vertical slits. The same colour of lines traced an intricate pattern all over its head and serpentine body, shining bright in the shadows but not bright enough to chase the darkness away. Light gradually revealed the giant, reptilian head of a demonic sea serpent covered in iridescent blue scales that dully glistened. Webbed, spiny fins sprouted on either side of its head like ears while many long and twisted black horns grew from the back, sharp and deadly. Hundreds of curved, pointed fangs, each twice as long as Gray was tall, filled its enormous jaws that were big enough to swallow a crowd of fifty people in a single bite.

This was Tuirehal's true form, no longer a charred and blackened skeleton or a living, rotten corpse, but the mighty, fearsome leviathan that once terrorized the ocean centuries ago. 'Dark Sea Lord' was its given title as written in the few ancient scrolls of history Levy and Master had managed to uncover after learning of Gray's fate. Evil emanated from the demon like a powerful curse, making the air heavy and colder, further chilling Gray down to the core. The teen tensed at the sight of the hideous monster looming above him, full of life, vigour, and spite; completely different from what Gray was used to seeing.

**If you fail in defeating them alone then together we shall show them true Hell! ** the serpent bellowed, its dreadful voice thundering within Gray's mind, threatening to split his head apart. It lowered its massive head, overshadowing the one seated upon the throne, to stare intently at the Ice-Make mage, its large, slanted nostrils flaring. **The moment you falter will be the moment I will rise. Remember this, for I will not continue to lie dormant when your life comes to another bitter end. No seal can contain my wrath, not even that measly little trinket you wear. There will be vengeance and there will be chaos for nothing but hatred will reign. Our rage will sunder both heaven and earth and all who oppose us will cower, writhe, and grovel before they die. There will be no mercy, only **_**death!**_

"Be sure none of your friends are around if that time ever comes," Gray's other half spoke up beneath the great serpent's shadow. Only his shining green eyes were visible, reflecting a hint of sneer. "Do not fear what you will become, child. Sometimes only a demon can kill a demon. _Shi-kussa serass ka._" _I will be waiting until then._

As one, both pairs of glowing green orbs slowly closed and darkness followed right after, casting the realm in cold, black shadows once more.

Gray gasped awake, out of breath and shivering from the lingering cold. He sat up abruptly, jumped out of bed and went straight for his bathroom while stepping over piles of discarded clothes. The Lacrima light mounted to the ceiling automatically turned on as he entered the bathroom, casting it in a soft yellow glow.

Planting his palms firmly on the counter of his bathroom sink, Gray leaned forward and stared at his reflection in the mirror, overly relieved to see his hair still black and his eyes the normal shade of blue. Heaving a deep sigh, he lowered onto his elbows and ran his hands through his messy hair.

The demon's words kept echoing through his head, its warning bringing nothing but dread at what could possibly happen in the upcoming future.

"Damn it, snake, saying all that doesn't help at all," he growled irritably at his sink before turning the water on. He splashed his face with warm water in hope of chasing away the last of the cold and glanced out the small window in the room, seeing the morning light beginning to peek through.

His gut twisted in knots. Today was the day he and the others of Fairy Tail were going to depart for their mission to guard their assigned ex-counselors. Chances were high that each team would encounter one of the demons of Tartaros and confront them in battle – a battle that could result in the same consequences as Laxus's team or worse.

Gray sighed again and bowed his head as he furled his hands into fists upon the smooth stone of his counter. His heart was rapidly pounding and his body, shaking. He was afraid, there was no denying it.

But he shouldn't be afraid. There shouldn't be anything to fear. Those demons of Tartaros were weak and inferior compared to the formidable serpent bound forever to his soul.

He met his own gaze in the mirror before finding the blue mark of Fairy Tail proudly displayed on his bare chest. "I won't fail," he told his reflection so his other half could hear him loud and clear.

* * *

><p>The early morning sun was hidden above the overcast clouds, making Magnolia Town seem quiet and gloomy. The streets were bare with the majority of the townsfolk still asleep or indoors. It was perfect for the members of Fairy Tail to quickly make their way through town without attracting fans or admirers, thus avoiding any unnecessary delays to their departure.<p>

"Hey, make sure those bastards don't lay a hand on your old man," said Natsu as Gray and Juvia turned off the main path that led to the animal stables. Instead of taking a land mount, the pair was heading for the mountains outside of town where their ride was waiting.

"That's not polite. He's an _ex-councilor_ not just an old man," Wendy corrected the older Dragon Slayer. Carla, held in the girl's arms, nodded in agreement.

"Ex-councilor. Old man. Same thing," the pink-haired mage retorted with a short huff. Happy snickered beside him, perched over his partner's shoulder.

"We'll make sure nothing happens to the Old Hog," said Gray, giving the other three teams a confident grin and a wave of his hand. "Best of luck to you guys. Don't any of you die, ya hear?"

Gajeel snorted. "It'll be Tartaros who should be worried about that," the iron-eater replied with a sneer, baring his sharp teeth. Alongside him, Pantherlily smirked while the three members of Shadow Gear wore determined expressions.

"I really hope there won't be any more causalities," said Lisanna as she clasped her hands together and frowned in worry. She received a sympathetic pat on the back from her burly brother.

"If we hurry, we can stop them from hurting any more people," Lucy chimed in.

They all nodded and exchanged one last good-bye and wish of luck before Gray and Juvia separated from the group.

It was a quiet trek for the pair until the instant they left the town gate. The water mage latched onto Gray's arm and said, "Juvia is very happy to be with Gray! Juvia made a picnic to share." Her smile was bright, making the gloomy sky above seem a little less dreary with her cheer. She held up a wicker basket that was probably full of food items that creepily bore Gray's face or were made into his image.

The Ice-Make mage squirmed and tried to gently push her away but she was stuck on like glue. "H-Hey! We're not going on a picnic! We're on an important mission here!" he exclaimed, irked by her closeness and her lack of focus.

"Juvia understands. This mission can still be romantic. With Juvia and Gray alone together…" Slipping the handle of her basket to the crook of her elbow, she cupped her free hand over her blushing face as she fantasized another bizarre love scenario in her head.

Gray rolled his eyes and quietly snorted as he looked off to the side. "There's nothing romantic about guarding an old geezer. Or fighting demons," he grumbled, his mood turning solemn.

The water mage loosened her grip at his tone, dropping her hand down to entwine her fingers around his to give him a gentle, assuring squeeze.

Gray held her hand a little moment longer before pulling away, unable to block out the dreadful memory that chose to resurface once again.

Juvia didn't say anything. She never did. Nor did she ever overreact with rejection whenever he withdrew from her touch like she used to. Ever since the whole incident at the Grand Magic Games, it was a small smile she always wore, kind and meaningful. Gray wasn't sure if she understood what troubled him, but he had a feeling she somehow knew even though she couldn't remember.

She knew of the Blood Pact and the demon that slept within him; everyone in Fairy Tail knew and no one else. It was one of the guild's most well guarded secrets to keep the Magic Council at bay. But now that the Magic Council was nothing but ruins and most of its main members dead, it almost didn't matter if the secret was leaked or not.

The best he could give Juvia in return for her smile was an apologetic look which she quietly accepted.

Once they reached the steep, rocky slope of the mountains at the edge of the forest that bordered the town, Gray made a staircase of rough ice that led straight up to make the climb an ease. At the top, they carefully made their way over uneven terrain to find the hidden entrance to an enormous cave. The gaping maw leading to the heart of the mountain was concealed by magic runes that lined the rocks around the opening. It was Master Makarov who had set up the powerful spell seven years ago to hide the creature that dwelled within.

Even though it was invisible, Gray knew where the entrance was for he would often come here to visit. "Hey! Rise and shine!" he yelled into the mouth of the cave, which when viewed from where he stood, appeared to be a solid wall of gray-brown mountain rock.

Not before long, there was a deep growling reverberating from deep within followed by the snarling, threatening rasps of; "Who dares trespass on _my_ mountain?!" Heavy footsteps echoed and the ground trembled as something large stomped towards the opening. The creature released a throaty growl as it emerged from the mountainside like a vicious predator, snapping its large, reptilian jaws full of browning, sharp teeth in a ferocious manner.

Gray had to shove Juvia back and quickly step aside in order to avoid being trampled by the giant beast the size of a full-grown dragon. It was a winged, muscular demon armoured in thick, gray scales and bony, silvery plates. Its pale blue membranous wings were attached to its arms like a wyvern's, frayed and full of holes, and whipping behind it was its long, barbed tail. It stood tall on its bird-like feet, raising its head high on a long neck covered in a coarse, bristly mane. Sprouting on both sides of its head was once a mighty pair of large yellowish horns that curved forward, but one had been broken in half long ago. Tied to the base of each horn were two lengths of thick rope knotted together to form reins that hung down the side of its neck.

The demon broke into an amusing laugh, letting out a few dry wheezing sounds as it turned in Gray's direction, its tail absentmindedly smashing into the mountain wall, leaving a deep scar. Five round eyes stared at the nearest mountain wall, with two pairs on both sides of its head and one eye in the center of its forehead. One pair was milky white and permanently blind while the other three shone bright and red but were hardly any better. "How was my performance, Half-Lord? Were you impressed by my impersonation of a terrifying monster?" it asked the mountain, its voice rugged and hoarse like an elderly man's.

'Half-Lord' was Gray's given title by the demon and no matter how many times the ice-mage had tried to persuade it to call him by his name, the beast would never listen. "You're getting better," Gray answered with a little smirk. "And I'm down here."

Zifur was its name and it was a former slave to the man who could control the will of demons through his magical chains. For twenty years, the wyvern had served the man until it was accidentally freed from its binds when Tuirehal had killed the man back on the black island. After that, the old demon had pledged its eternal servitude to the sea serpent and Gray, and continued to willingly serve the Ice-Make mage as a loyal servant even after the teen dismissed the demon of its duties. Senile, humble, and non-violent in nature, the strong, fearsome-looking beast was unlike most demons Gray had encountered.

With nowhere to go and no homeland to return to, Zifur had chosen to remain in Fiore and close to Magnolia Town. The wyvern had made the mountain cave its new home and never ventured out on its own considering it had a bad habit of flying blindly into everything. For its own safety as well as preventing any harm and panic to the civilians around the country, it was best for it to stay under Fairy Tail's watchful eye.

Zifur constantly needed a guide to fly and because of that, it became a useful set of wings, able to provide a quick form of transportation over long distances that some of the guild members utilized. The wyvern wasn't just a mode of transport, it had become somewhat of a friend as well; someone Gray could sometimes confide with when he wanted to discuss about one particular sea demon.

"Are you ready to fly out, Zifur? We have an urgent mission to get to," Gray continued.

The winged beast turned its backside to the mage and bowed its head at a boulder. "Always at your service, Half-Lord. Ask and I shall deliver," the demon answered humbly as it lowered onto his knees and elbows, its giant wings folded at its sides.

Gray nodded at Juvia to get on the wyvern's back. She had met Zifur a few times and had often brought snacks for it whenever she accompanied Gray for a visit. Today she offered the demon a few of her 'Gray' and 'Juvia' buns from her basket, tossing them into the beast's big mouth.

"Delectable," the demon praised with a toothy grin. It turned its head to give the girl climbing onto its back a sideways glance. "Your food is a marvelous wonder. Thank you, kind Juvia."

The water mage smiled. "You are welcome."

She sat behind Gray who stood between the wyvern's broad shoulders with Zifur's reins in his hands. Once she was settled, the ice-user gave a strong tug on the rope, making the demon rise. It crouched, and then sprung upwards before spreading its arms and massive wings wide to catch air. With each noisy flap, they flew higher and higher, reaching the overcast sky in less than a minute.

Hair and clothes whipped back at the speed of their ascent. The wind was strong and cold at the higher altitude, forcing the riders to hang on tight so they wouldn't slip and fall off. Not wanting to travel under the dismal gloom, Gray pulled back on the reins to make the winged beast soar into the clouds. Through the thick, moist mist, they couldn't see anything until they broke to the upper surface.

Gray was blinded momentarily by the intense glare of the sun, but smiled at its warmth nonetheless. He steered Zifur to face north-west where their ex-councilor was hiding somewhere within that region in one of the remote villages. If Gray and Juvia had travelled on land, it would likely take them at least three to four hours to locate the old man. Using Zifur would shorten that time to less than an hour.

As they glided above the ocean of clouds in the radiant sun, the flying beast suddenly spoke up, "I can sense a dark presence in the direction we are heading, Half-Lord. It is faint but I know it is of another demon."

Gray's mood darkened as he narrowed his eyes at the horizon before him. Was Tartaros already there? He tightened his hold on the reins, feeling the rough rope dig painfully into the palms of his hands. "We need to fly faster! We have to get there before it's too late!"

The wyvern nodded. "If you so desire, Half-Lord. I shall perform the Drop Maneuver."

Gray peered over his shoulder to glance at his partner, seeing her expression the same as his. "Juvia! Hang onto me!"

"As you wish!" The girl eagerly obeyed and clung onto the ice mage's back, her arms wrapping around his upper torso with her slender fingers clutching to the fabric of his shirt. She pressed her face uncomfortably against the nape of his neck and quietly giggled.

There was no time to complain however, because Zifur folded its wings and dove downwards, plunging into the white sea below them headfirst.

The Ice-Make mage had to freeze his hands in order to keep his grip on the reins as they plummeted at an incredible speed. They broke through the bottom layer of clouds, finding the earth coming towards them at a blinding rate. Baring his teeth, Gray yanked hard on the rope and at the last second, Zifur spread its arms to make them swoop back up, aiming at the sky once again.

Faster they flew over the earth, the ground below and the clouds above nothing but a blur of natural colours as they zoomed towards their destination.

Gray stared ahead intently; his mind focused. The only thought that passed through his head was that he couldn't let Tartaros win. He wasn't going to fail his mission and he wasn't going to lose to a lesser demon no matter what it took.

* * *

><p>AN: As I've mentioned earlier, this story is experimental; something I wanted to expand on since completing _Stormbringer_. Depending on how the Tartaros Arc unfolds and how well this story is received, I might continue on with this story at a slow, gradual pace. (Did you guys read the latest chapter? So exciting to find out Silver's true identity!)

I certainly hope you all enjoyed it. If you are confused and have questions or comments, feel free to ask.

Thanks for reading and have a good day!


	2. The Magical Dance of Ice and Water

**The Magical Dance of Ice and Water**

* * *

><p>Situated between the tall, narrow crags of the coastal mountains on the north-western region of Fiore was the secluded village Edelweiss which, according to Loke, was where the retired ex-councilor under the name of 'Old Hog' had chosen to hide for the rest of his life in peace. Protected by mounds of dark gray rock and brimming with lush green tropical plants around the perimeter, Edelweiss was a difficult village to find on land without a guide. Fortunate for Gray and Juvia, they had a set of wings to carry them over the natural barriers and a demon's senses to hone in on their enemy, leading them to the village's location.<p>

Bursting from the wild thicket on foot, the pair of mages startled a few nearby villagers with their sudden appearance. Other than that, they were a little relieved to find the quiet village unharmed and the people going about their daily lives; a good indication that Fairy Tail had beaten Tartaros to their goal.

"Let's hurry," said Gray to his partner, not wasting another second to catch their breath or admire the scenery.

The girl nodded, but the gesture went unnoticed because the ice-user had already started down the dirt path without her. With Gray taking the lead, Juvia could only obediently follow, chasing right after his quick steps. In spite of the dire situation they could soon be facing, the young woman wore a broad, determined smile on her face. Missions with Gray were rare for her – missions with just the two of them working together were rarer still.

The water mage was ecstatic to be working so close with her man. She wanted to make sure they will succeed in their mission so Gray would be proud of her and finally fall in love. Once everything is all over, he would scoop her up in his strong arms beneath the setting sun and say, "Juvia, never before have I felt the need to kiss you so tenderly. _I love you so much._" Then he would lean towards her and his soft lips would brush against hers, their breaths mingling…

Juvia felt her face heat up and her heart beat faster as she swooned at the romantic thought of what could be one of the possible outcomes from this mission. She practically skipped at Gray's heels, hoping for her deepest desire to come true. With her head in the clouds, she nearly crashed into her partner when he abruptly stopped to ask a nearby villager for directions in finding the Old Hog's house.

Once they gathered enough information, the mages of Fairy Tail continued down the road at a brisk pace. Dirt eventually turned into stone bricks and the small houses of the outskirts gradually became larger buildings of shops, homes and businesses as the pair made their way to the heart of the village. Palm trees taller than most roofs grew in rows along the sidewalks, their leaves swaying in the breeze. The morning sun was shining hot and bright in this region, bringing out the vibrant colours of the tropical flowers growing in every planter decorating the roads and buildings. The air was warm and fragrant from the many blooms and the ripening fruits neatly displayed for sale at a number of open stalls along the street. Birds twittered in the tree tops and people chattered amongst themselves in the lively part of the village.

Vendors, excited to see new faces in their village, hollered at the mages as they passed to gain their attention, but Gray kindly waved them away while Juvia gave them a small nod and a smile. The pair turned off the main road and entered a less busy street that curved up a hill and ended with a wide, stone staircase carved into the face of a tall, sloped cliff. The village continued on at the top of the plateau with rows of buildings stretching as far as the mountainside and a few more roads leading to other parts.

According to the villager's directions, the Old Hog's small abode was somewhere up here situated between a flower shop and a bookstore.

Juvia kept in pace with Gray's hasty strides as they strode along the quiet street. She held onto the strap of her large, black leather bag that contained the large Communication Lacrima so it wouldn't bounce around too much and risk getting damaged. She had left her basket of goods with Zifur to lessen the burden she had to carry. (It wouldn't be a surprise if she found the basket empty upon her return.)

As they rounded the corner, there was a loud, sharp ring, sounding as if a blade had cleaved through stone and wood, that suddenly disrupted the peace of the village. Quick to follow was the sight and grinding sound of an entire roof _sliding_ off the top of a house one block away from the mages of Fairy Tail. Cut cleanly at an angle, the decapitated roof soundly crashed onto the stone road, sending plumes of dust into the air.

There were startled screams from the surrounding villagers but they were all soon cut off by the terrified shriek coming from someone within the damaged house.

Juvia's blood turned as cold as ice at the sound, her heart and mind suddenly filled with dread.

Gray swore out loud, his expression one of horror, before he broke into a run towards the maimed building.

The water mage wasn't far behind, feeling nothing by apprehension. She feared Tartaros had gotten to the ex-councilor first. When they were close enough, Juvia was right to be afraid for the Old Hog's life because the damaged house was exactly the one they were looking for tucked between a small flower boutique and an old bookstore.

"Everyone, get away!" Gray shouted at the bystanders and the few people attempting to get inside the home to help.

When the pair of mages were at the wooden door, Juvia sensed a strange, unnerving power arise from the other side. At that same instant, Gray twisted around and tackled his partner.

Juvia's heart leapt to her throat, overwhelmed by the fact that her man was throwing himself onto her. She landed hard on her back, but the pain was not enough to wipe the smile off her face. She was more happy than angry to have Gray lying on top of her, his body pressed right against hers. The moment of happiness lasted for only a split second.

The deafening ring of something sharp cutting through the stone and wood right above Gray's head interrupted the moment.

Juvia held her breath, suddenly remembering the incident that only happened in her memory – where Gray had shoved her out of harm's way to protect her only to get killed by the little monster dragons in the end. Even though Gray's fate had changed, the memory of his death was forever ingrained into Juvia's mind, haunting her in her dreams.

She was the main reason he had died. She had been careless and allowed her foolish heart to get the better of her when the situation was dire. Because of her, Gray was distracted and…

Since then, she had made a promise to herself and that was to never let her feelings get in the way in the middle of a dangerous situation. She didn't want to be a burden to Gray; she didn't want him to risk his own life to protect her again. Instead, she wanted to be his partner; someone he could rely on to watch his back; someone he could count on whenever they were in a pinch. Just like the time when they fought side-by-side and hand-in-hand during the final event at the Grand Magic Games.

With her mind set, Juvia proceeded to take action. She was quick to notice the top half of the remaining house beginning to slide off due to some invisible blade slicing through the entire building. In haste, the blue-haired girl wrapped her arms around Gray and enveloped them both in water. Summoning a current by will, she carried them out of the path of the falling structure in the form of a wave and positioned them back on their feet on the road in front of the flower shop.

Juvia dispelled her tide with only a thought and reluctantly let her partner go just in time to witness the two-story house turn into one. People scrambled away from the falling section while others, standing at a relatively safe distance, were shocked and gaping.

Gray coughed out the water he accidentally swallowed and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. He was completely drenched but that was the least of his worries. "Damn it! We're too late!" he exclaimed, eyeing the damage.

Before Juvia could respond, she sensed the same, odd power flare up from behind the thick plume of dust.

Both mages acted out of instinct, now aware of what to expect coming their way. Gray, with hands aglow and moving in a blur, molded his magic into the form of a crystalline shield to protect them both.

However, the ice was not enough… The invisible blade cut through the frozen barrier as if it was only paper and sliced into Gray's upper left arm and into Juvia. Luckily for the water mage, her body had turned to liquid at the right moment to avoid the attack. The attack continued past the mages and slashed into the building behind them, leaving a large horizontal scar right across the entire front.

Juvia gasped when the energy passed through her liquefied form, striking where her heart should be. The power was unnaturally cold – not the same cold as Gray's ice, but an _evil_ cold; dark and sinister. It made her magic waver unsteadily. The instant she became whole again, she collapsed to her knees, her body wracked with chills and her breath quivering. She clenched a hand around the fabric above her heart, unable to shake away the disturbing feeling that had overtaken her body.

"Juvia!" She snapped her head in Gray's direction, seeing his face full of concern as he quickly kneeled beside her, his damaged shield still in place.

"J-Juvia… is unhurt," the water mage managed to stutter out of her trembling lips. She shook her head and drew a quick breath in an attempt to regain her bearings. "Don't worry for her. She was only taken by surprise, that's all. It won't happen again." Putting on a bold face, she got back on her feet. However, her chest felt tight and heavy with trepidation.

Gray was visibly relieved and joined her as he quickly sealed his bleeding wound with ice and dispersed his barrier.

The door of the ex-councilor's home was cut horizontally in half but was still standing until something knocked it down with force. A hulking being lurked behind the frame, too large to fit through the small opening. But with a single sweep of its giant, muscular arm, it smashed aside the remaining bricks and wooden poles that made up the doorway as if it was only swatting away a fly. The rest of the house crumbled apart, revealing an inhuman creature responsible for all the chaos.

Twice as tall as a human, and with broad shoulders and massive arms that touched the ground, the monster that emerged through the rubble glowered at the mages with a pair of yellow, lizard-like eyes. Crimson scales covered its body, gleaming like rubies beneath the sun. A single horn grew atop its smooth, plated head; sharp and curved like a saber's edge. Bolted to its chin was a sheet of golden metal that was pointed and jagged similar to a spearhead.

It wore a button-less black coat decorated with pink-outlined triangles and trimmed with brownish fur around the collar. The sleeves ended at the monster's elbows, stopping at the broad pair of razor-sharp fins that sprouted out of the sides of its forearms. Its bare chest was armoured with a natural carapace that resembled the bottom of a turtle's shell. Its monstrous appearance made the remaining civilians scatter in fear.

Juvia's expression darkened when she noticed the fresh streaks of blood staining the creature's bladed arms.

The monster loudly grunted in annoyance and growled out in a voice that rumbled deep within its throat; "Looks like I missed you little humans." It stepped forward on short, stumpy feet, crushing the chunks of rubble under its heavy weight. Vertical slits for pupils narrowed at the members of Fairy Tail in disdain.

"A demon…" Juvia heard Gray snarl under his breath as he bared his teeth angrily at the creature.

_A demon of Tartaros… and the Old Hog's killer… _Juvia steeled against the fiend's fierce glare and furled her hands, feeling the same anger as her partner. Not only did the beast slaughter the old man and everyone else inside, it had just tried to kill the mages as well.

"I won't miss again," it stated in a dangerous tone. Its scaly fingers sank into the ground at its feet, cracking the solid stone, and launched at the pair.

Juvia and Gray moved as one, both conjuring up their respective magic to counter the demon's onslaught. The water mage summoned a powerful tide while Gray unleashed a wave of thick ice. Their spells collided together to combine and reinforce one another to create an enormous, twisting column of rapidly growing crystals that were beautiful yet deadly to the touch. It sheared across the road and through every obstacle in its path.

The mages were certain they had hit their foe, but to their dismay, their unified magic didn't stand a chance against the demon's fins that were sharper than any sword. Numerous straight lines appeared across the spiraling thorns of frost as the ice was cut apart.

Gray cursed while Juvia clenched her jaw.

The demon smashed through the ice with its elbow, shooting chunks in Fairy Tail's direction, and continued to close in on its opponents, using its huge hands to propel it forward at an incredible speed.

Juvia phased into water to have the debris harmlessly pass through her while her partner molded a heavy shield for protection.

The beast was before the pair within a blink of an eye, its big scaly fist swinging fast to slash them both down with a single strike.

Juvia leapt aside a second before the monster's massive arm could graze her, losing only a few strands of her blue hair to the demon's natural blade. Gray's barrier was easily demolished, forcing him to deftly roll under the attack.

Twisting on her heel, Juvia faced her enemy with a counterattack ready in the palms of her hands that were shrouded in aqua-blue energy. She brought her hands together before her, concentrating her magic within her open palms. With a determined shout, she released her spell in the form of a powerful jet stream aimed at her target's scaly face.

She struck home and sent the fiend crashing through the glass window of the flower shop where it soundly broke ceramic pots and glass displays.

The demon was quick to recover. The water-user could sense its power rise yet again.

"Here it comes!" Gray warned, falling into a defensive stance.

"Understood!" Juvia said with a curt nod as she gathered her magic.

Juvia couldn't see the attack, but she could _feel _it coming their way before seeing the damage it left behind. Giant invisible blades cut a criss-cross pattern throughout the entire front of the boutique and deeply marred the road as they headed straight for the mages.

The blue-haired girl formed her own blades out of water in hope of parrying the demon's dark power. Her spell was overwhelmed by the other however, leaving her with no choice but to quickly drop down to her hands and knees to avoid getting cut in half.

Her hat unfortunately didn't survive; it was slashed apart and knocked right off her head. Juvia froze, aghast at the sight of her beloved black hat hemmed with white fur lying on the ground in pieces. It was her _favourite_ hat. And now it was completely _ruined!_

She picked up the precious remains with trembling hands, her lower lip quivering. "Unforgiveable!" she seethed, her blood boiling with rage. She shot a heated glare in the direction of her foe as she slowly rose with the intention of murdering the monster as payback. Just as the demon smashed through the door and frame of the boutique, Juvia unleashed a torrent of scalding water. Her angry tide swallowed not only her enemy but almost every building on the same side of the street. Hot and steaming, her waters scoured every surface on contact; stripping away the cheap paint and grime off the buildings and washing away whatever wasn't tied down. She was confident that nothing could withstand the heat and force of her magic, not even the despicable demon.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed her partner jumping back in a panic to distance himself from the girl's unrelenting spell. Wood groaned and the trunks of trees were bent near the point of breaking from the pressure of her water.

Suddenly, a large shadow swam against her boiling tide like a fired torpedo, which should have been impossible.

Juvia flinched, but it was too late; the shadow was upon her before she could react. Bursting from the scalding water unharmed was the ruby-scaled lizard and it was downright furious.

"No tide can stop me! No matter how hot or cold!" the reptilian monster roared. It swiped at the water-user with its right arm as it shot past her.

Juvia felt something sharp bite into her belly before her body could completely liquefy. She ignored the pain and focused on maintaining her transformation. As water, she dispersed into droplets and pooled on the ground to avoid the brunt of the demon's attack.

"_You goddamn bastard!_"

She heard Gray's angry, garbled voice, sounding as if he was underwater, but it was only due to Juvia's conscience enveloped in her magical form. She gathered herself and rose from the puddle. The female mage became whole again, back on her feet and back in the battle right at the exact same moment her partner launched an enormous, frozen lance at their enemy.

The crystalline weapon was big enough to skewer the fiend by fivefold, however, with a single swipe of its arm, the monster cleaved through the ice like it was only made of butter, splitting the lance perfectly in half lengthwise. The two split pieces soundly tore into the ground behind the lizard, both leaving ugly gashes in the road.

But the Ice-Make mage wasn't finished yet; he immediately followed with several more lances, these ones twice as large as the first. They flew at the demon at almost every angle, each gleaming point wanting to rip through those ruby scales.

The reptilian creature growled and brought its arms protectively before it, then spun rapidly in circles. Its fins, combined with its tough scales and momentum allowed it to deflect every frozen lance. The repelled weapons were thrown into the ground, tearing deep into the earth, while others were redirected into nearby buildings, wrecking them further.

Unbeknownst to the demon, the lances were not the only thing Gray had molded.

Coming fast from above was a gigantic hammer twice the size of the reptile, ready to crush it flat. The demon took notice a second after deflecting the last of Gray's crystal lances. The instant it stopped spinning, it brought up its large hands and caught the head of the hammer, stopping the weapon from pulverizing its target, much to Juvia's surprise.

Gray wasn't done yet. He had a second crystal hammer coming down from the sky. This one pounded the head of the first with a loud echoing clash, sending enough downward force that it made the ground crack and sink beneath the demon's stubby feet. The monster's knees and arms badly shook from the heavy impact. It struggled, however it wasn't ready to yield against the magical hammers wishing to crush every bone in its body just yet.

Frustrated, the dark-haired mage quickly prepared another spell. "Ice-Make Geyser!" Gray shouted as he slammed his palms into the ground and directed his magic beneath the immobile fiend. Many frozen points jutted from the earth, appearing to impale the demon from right under its feet. The look of shock on its scaly face was the last thing Juvia saw before the many growing crystal points obscured her view of the demon. The frozen geyser pushed the hammers upward. Gray dispelled the second hammer before it could topple over and flatten the nearby buildings.

"Gray!" Juvia shouted, giving her partner a sideways glance so he could read what she was about to do.

"Gotcha!" the Ice-Make mage confirmed.

Their opponent was formidable. There was no knowing if the lizard could survive Gray's spell and Juvia didn't want to risk having another surprise attack. She surrounded the tall geyser of frost with a huge sphere of water which Gray quickly froze solid.

Both mages stood still, their eyes locked on their combined spells. It looked like a perfectly carved ice sculpture of a giant hammer balancing atop a smooth, reflective orb of pale blue crystal. The ice glinted like diamonds and steamed under the hot sun shining above.

It had gone quiet and still. Only the dripping of water and their panting breaths disturbed the silence that had fallen over this part of the village.

They waited.

After a full minute of nothing coming from the ice, Juvia let out a great sigh of relief. It didn't seem like the demon was going to escape its frozen prison anytime soon. She turned to her partner only to stumble from the pain flaring from the wound she had nearly forgotten about.

"Juvia!" Gray caught her in his arms before she fully fell over.

Her heart skipped a beat at the concern in his voice and his strong and gentle touch as he helped her stay on her feet. Acting bashful, she lowered her head to hide her blush only to notice the hole in her black dress that ran across her stomach right above her golden chain belt. Gingerly, she touched her wound and pulled back, finding her fingers wet and crimson.

"Shit. He got you," the ice-mage exclaimed, frowning at the sight of her blood.

"Only a minor injury," the girl assured, putting on a brave face. The wound was badly stinging and starting to throb, but she tried her best to hide the pain so her partner wouldn't fret.

Gray wasn't convinced. He put a firm hand over the large cut to apply some pressure, his worry never leaving. He quickly looked around. "Where did your bag go? Did you bring any first-aid stuff?"

"It is–" Juvia stopped in mid-sentence when she found her bag gone from her hip. The monster must have cut the strap at the same time it had cut into her. Her blue eyes scanned the area, unable to find the big black bag amongst the ice and rubble. It shouldn't have gone too far, but Juvia was worried the Communication Lacrima may have gotten damaged from the fall.

"Never mind. Here, put pressure on it." Gray grabbed her hand and placed it over her own wound. She abided with a nod and bit her lower lip when she felt her own blood trickle between her fingers. The injury was deeper than she had first thought.

Gray unbuckled the main strap that held the sleeves of his outfit in place and slid off his right sleeve first before shredding it into two pieces with a conjured crystal knife. Carefully, he wrapped the strips of damp black cloth around his partner's waist to cover the gash.

Juvia once again shyly hid her blushing cheeks as Gray encircled his arms around her to bandage her injury. She couldn't remember the time he had cared for her in such a way.

"What were you thinking?" he suddenly scolded her as he worked, his voice quiet.

Juvia blinked in confusion. However, Gray wasn't looking her way. He was busy cutting up his shirt to make more makeshift bandages. He left his other sleeve on where his injury was still frozen over.

"There could have been people still inside those buildings. You shouldn't have sent boiling water everywhere," the Ice-Make mage continued.

The water-user bowed her head in shame. She hadn't considered the safety of the villagers when she had unleashed her spell as payback for the loss of her hat. "Juvia did not think things through…" she murmured.

Her partner sighed in her ear as he leaned forward to wrap another layer around her waist and stomach. His breath tickled her neck, sending a tingling sensation through her chest. "Be more careful… Okay?" he said sternly as he pulled back, meeting her eyes with his, his hand lingering over the main knot he made at her hip.

She smiled and nodded. For what felt like a long wonderful moment to Juvia, their gazes never strayed from each other's. Until a loud cracking sound coming from the demon's prison pulled their attention.

"What?! No way…" Gray stiffened at the sight of the large crack running across the once perfectly smooth orb of ice like lightning parting a stormy sky. Smaller cracks spread around the main one and covered the entire sphere seconds later. "We're not letting him break out!" the ice mage exclaimed, shifting into his offensive stance.

"Right!" announced Juvia. She acted first and called forth a rising, swirling pillar of water that engulfed the breaking orb and tilting head of the hammer.

Next, Gray brought both of his glowing hands before him and froze every drop of the girl's water in a flash of brilliant white light. The new sculpture now looked as if a hammer was in the middle of smashing into a gushing fountain of sparkling crystal water.

Five times as thick as before and twice as high, the magic-infused ice should be sufficient enough to keep the demon imprisoned.

But those of Tartaros were a fearsome bunch…

From within the layers of ice, Juvia could sense the demon's evil power spike to a whole new level, much greater than anything she had ever felt. Wicked and cold, the girl shuddered from the unnerving sensation running through her body. This awful feeling was much worse than the first time she had experienced the creature's evil essence when she had turned into water.

She clasped her hands together before her chest and took a wary step back, her quivering gaze locked on the ice that encased their foe.

The ice rumbled and new cracks quickly formed over the crystal surfaces. Then without warning, the entire sculpture shattered apart like fragile glass, sending chunks the size of boulders and shards as sharp as spears in every direction. Every nearby building were either demolished or pierced with all sizes of ice.

Gray had erected a frozen wall to protect them both from the flying debris. Ice clattered against ice, leaving shallow craters and dents in the strong barrier. Once the barrage was over, the dark-haired mage dispersed his wall. His mood darkened when he saw the being that stood in the middle of what was once a supposedly inescapable prison.

It was the lizard demon but its appearance had drastically changed with its risen power, standing nearly twice as tall and thrice as large. Ruby scales were no longer smooth like polished gems but rough and sharp like spines. Two more horns sprouted from the back of its plated head to join the other and its face now bore a short reptilian snout and a mouthful of viciously sharp teeth. It now had a pair of fin-like ears on either side of its head, the spines sharp and pointed. Spikes adorned its shoulders and down its back where a bladed dorsal fin was now present in the middle, leaving its coat to hang in tatters. Most fearsome of all were its arms that now had another pair of fin-blades growing right at its elbows. Its main pair had doubled in size, curving past the smaller fins of its elbows, and looked much more deadly than before. A long tail slowly swayed behind it, armoured in spikes and ending with sharp tail fin similar to a shark's.

Its yellow eyes shone with a malevolent light as they bore right into the mages. "_Troublesome little humans_," the demon spat derisively. "Look what you've done! You have _angered me!_ There is no stopping me with your petty magic. Try as you might. I will kill you both in the end!"

With that, the monster charged at them at full speed like a raging bull.

Juvia braced herself in spite of the apprehension that plagued her. She had to be brave and determined because she was a mage of Fairy Tail. And Fairies never cower in fear no matter how strong their adversaries; no matter the difference in strength. She had done it before and she will do it again.

"We'll defeat you before you can even try!" Gray boasted, concentrating his magic in his hands.

Juvia stood with her back facing her partner's, gathering her own magic as well. "Our combined love will bring you down!" she added.

"What?!" Gray shot her a sideways look of horror.

Juvia of the Deep could only smile because the demon was already upon them.

* * *

><p>AN: It's not certain if Torafusa was the one who killed the ex-councilor Gray and Juvia were sent to protect, but I do know it was one of the members capable of cutting things. So I chose the lizard guy because he seems to be formidable enough to counter against Gray's and Juvia's magic and I'm assuming Kyouka is busy scheming with Crawford Seam at this point. Also, I'm not too sure what Torafusa's attacks really are aside from being physically strong and capable of swimming through water so don't believe that he can actually shoot pressurized air blades - that's something I made up. I also made up the look of his transformation (does he even have one?) so don't believe that is true too. I'll have to adjust his character as the manga progresses.

Edit: Altered Torafusa's transformation; he's now a lizard/shark hybrid demon and not a merman demon like he is in the manga.

Also to point out, this is my first time trying to write 'romance' due to Juvia's personality so try to bear with the quality of it... Romantic situations are difficult for me to tolerate. (I'm not a big fan...) Hopefully, those parts with Juvia interacting with Gray aren't too awful.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Ruler of the Dark Seas

A/N: I've slightly altered Torafusa's transformation in chapter 2; it's still different from the manga version because I like him more as a lizard than a fishman. So he's now a lizard/shark hybrid and he still has his fin blades.

Hope you enjoy the story in spite of the changes.

* * *

><p><strong>Ruler of the Dark Seas<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Focus, Gray! Focus! There's a lizard-fish demon coming at you! <em>The Ice Make mage had to quickly remind himself in order to ignore what Juvia had just said.

The hulking, transformed, ruby-scaled demon covered in blades and spines was only a heartbeat away from Gray and Juvia and within that heartbeat, the pair unleashed their gathered magic simultaneously. Ice and water melded into one to form an impenetrable wall, both thick and beautiful like the rising tides that surrounded their foe.

Gray heard the sharp ring of blades cutting into the reinforced ice before seeing the thin, gleaming lines on the frozen surfaces where the demon had slashed through. Just as the freak shattered the ice wall and resumed its rampage with a furious roar, Gray was already running to the side while Juvia ran in the opposite direction to catch the demon in the middle of their next set of spells.

Icy spears from the left and a powerful jet stream from the right; the demon couldn't avoid both at the same time.

Fin blades moving in a blur made short work of Gray's frozen points in a matter of seconds while Juvia's water blast did little to knock the heavy, ugly lizard off its webbed, clawed feet. Unfazed, it looked as if it was enjoying a shower.

Water was proving to be entirely ineffective… Gray didn't miss Juvia's look of annoyance.

Stringing a few choice words, the Ice Make mage molded two massive blocks of ice on either side of the reptile and brought them together to crush the demon between them. However, with a simple swing of its muscular arms, the two blocks were cleaved vertically in half before colliding together with a loud crash.

The front halves were suddenly sent sliding in Gray's direction. The young man quickly dispelled his ice only to be taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of the demon right before him, its yellow eyes flashing with malice.

Gray felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the beast's deadly blades heading straight for him in the peripheral of his vision. The next thing he knew, the wicked blades passed over his head, maiming only a few hairs off the top because a giant geyser of scalding water had erupted from the ground right below the demon and shot it upwards.

"Don't ignore Juvia!" Juvia screamed in a fury.

Gray had to jump back to avoid getting splashed by the girl's incredibly hot water. He'd have to thank her later for literally saving his neck.

Eyes locked on his foe spinning helplessly high in the air, the ice-user molded a fearsomely jagged bow in his right hand and a long crystal arrow in the other. He fired at his target and crafted another arrow right after. In succession, the mage launched over ten ice arrows at the demon, each silvery-blue streak striking home, before the big brute crashed through the roof of a (hopefully abandoned) building down the street.

It sounded like the monster fell through the third and second floors of the three-storied building before stopping on the first with a resounding _thud_.

Taking a deep breath, Gray exchanged a look with Juvia, giving her a thankful smirk followed by a nod, silently telling her to remain wary. She easily understood and turned her hardened gaze towards their enemy concealed within the wood, glass, and stone of the building it crashed into.

The building shook and its windows rattled when the demon suddenly bellowed at the top of its lungs; "_I have had it with you accursed humans!_"

The front doors, along with the frame and surrounding brick wall, exploded from the fish-lizard monster ramming through with no regard. Its rage-filled eyes found the mages of Fairy Tail instantly and it abruptly turned to face them, its sharp teeth bared. Its power had risen to match its anger. Wisps of dark energy emanated from the creature's body, flickering like weak flames.

The demon was more annoyed than hurt. None of Gray's ice arrows had pierced through the demon's thick, hard scales, much to his disappointment.

If his current level of spells weren't working, then Gray would have to rely on his strongest. Without wasting another second, the mage poised into his stance and called forth nearly every ounce of his magic, concentrating the energy into his hands that shone a brilliant white-blue.

"Ice Make Unlimited: One-Sided Chaotic Dance!" he cried as he instantly molded hundreds of beautiful identical swords that hovered and surrounded him in a protective spiral, reaching almost as high as the sky. With a simple wave, the hundreds of crystalline blades propelled forward, aiming their deadly points right at the fuming demon.

There were so many ice swords that they hid the monster from view when they surrounded the hulking figure. The only thing visible was the many crystal hilts that jutted outward, forming a large dome.

Juvia clasped her hands together, impressed by the other mage's special attack. "You got him!" she exclaimed.

But her smile, as well as Gray's, was soon wiped away when the monster smashed away the layers of ice, sending swords and sharp, broken pieces hurtling everywhere. It slammed its palms onto the ground, further breaking the road, and roared, "Drown beneath the sea of Hades, you ignorant fools! _Darkness of Heaven and Earth!_"

Tides as dark as oil and as tall as the peaks of the surrounding mountains instantly appeared behind the angry demon and started to rush towards the pair.

"Black water?!" Juvia exclaimed in horror as the powerful waves demolished and washed away every structure in its path. She acted in haste, stepping forward and throwing her arms above her head to summon a tide of her own to intercept the angry, black tides. Her magic shielded her and Gray, but her protection was not going to last long against the demon's greater power.

Seeing Juvia's strained expression from maintaining her liquid barrier prompted Gray to hurry to her side. Shadowy water was rapidly breaching the clear blue in a matter of seconds.

Just as the darkness was about to swallow them both, Gray wrapped one arm around the girl and formed a protective sphere of ice around them. He held Juvia while she clutched onto him tightly as they rolled and tumbled within their enclosed quarters from the violent currents beneath the demon's tides.

It felt like hours before they had finally stopped getting tossed around. Battered and out of breath, Gray pried his eyes open and saw the sun and sky above them beyond a glassy dome, indicating they had just surfaced. The water was still flowing, however, carrying them and their floating, frozen vessel to wherever.

"Is Gray okay?" Juvia murmured into her partner's bare chest as she lay on top of him.

Unnerved by her closeness, Gray grabbed her shoulders and pushed her off, seeing her blushing cheeks and dreamy smile. Face burning in embarrassment, he sat straight up and tried to shift as far away from her as possible, which wasn't very far in his little confined sphere that rocked and bobbed up and down along with the water.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" Gray answered brusquely, pressing his back uncomfortably against his curved ice. His annoyance vanished and his tone and composure softened when he noticed the pain crossing Juvia's face as she painstakingly pushed off the floor of their vessel. He moved to help her sit only to frown in worry at the sight of her blood staining his fingers when he touched the makeshift bandages around her stomach. Her wound was still bleeding heavily.

"Juvia…" was all he could say before he sensed the demon fast approaching from somewhere below.

The Ice Make mage frantically scanned the dark water and saw only a black abyss lying underneath for the sunlight could not penetrate the evil. He couldn't see the roofs of buildings nor the tops of trees – the entire cliff-side section of the village was completely submerged!

It was a ghastly sight… There was a lot of debris floating around; wooden objects, ruins of homes, tree branches and trunks, and other things Gray feared were the bodies of innocent victims.

Gray stiffened when he saw a flash of yellow in the darkness right under them. It was a pair of glowing yellow reptilian eyes and they were growing larger and larger as the demon swam straight for them.

The dark-haired mage snarled a curse and slammed his magic-infused palms onto the floor of his sphere to quickly form a big enough glacier to obscure the demon's sight and allow the mages a safe place to move to. Gray made sure to arm the bottom with large, pointy icicles in hope of impaling the incoming demon.

The ice mage quickly dispelled the walls of his sphere, grabbed Juvia, and dove to the side just before the fish-lizard freak cleaved through the glacier as it leaped out of the water, its giant arm fins slicing at the spot the pair were occupying only a second ago. The ice was cut perfectly in half and the two chunks were forced to drift apart when the demon splashed back under its territory.

After setting Juvia down on the ice, Gray stood up to brace against the monster's next attack. He felt a hand grab onto his.

"This water is tainted!" Juvia warned, "There is nothing but evil under these dark waves. Don't fall!"

"I won't," Gray replied, giving her an assuring squeeze. He frantically searched the debris-riddled darkness, his mind racing a mile a minute to come up with a plan to beat the fish bastard.

What could he do? The demon had the greater advantage with all this cursed water surrounding them and neither of their spells seemed effective against the monster's scaly hide. On top of that, Gray had almost used all of his magic energy and Juvia was injured…

What can they do to save the rest of the village and themselves?

_Think, goddamn it! Think! _

Gray had defeated a demon from Tartaros before and he could do it again. But this fish-lizard was on a whole new level compared to the ugly one in the Sun Village.

Could Gray freeze the black water and somehow use it against the fish-lizard freak? Was it possible?

"Give up, little humans," the demon's voice rumbled from somewhere beneath them, taunting. "You cannot hope to defeat me within my sea. I rule these cursed waters. You are but my helpless prey!"

Gray spotted the red, bladed dorsal fin off to the side and it was cutting through the water towards the stranded mages like a hunting shark. Wanting to keep Juvia out of any more danger, he pulled away from her and left her on the glacier.

In the direction of the demon, Gray jumped from one ice platform to the next atop the water's surface, each one conjured up with his own magic. He didn't want to test if the black water would freeze under his command just yet.

The demon dived.

Assuming the fiend will come up from right under him, Gray launched himself into the air using an ice geyser as a boost. Just as he had predicted, the fish-lizard leapt from under the mage's last ice platform, slashing the crystal creation to pieces. Its body was completely out of water, giving Gray the chance to counter.

The soaring ice mage flipped and made another frozen platform in midair in which he used to change his direction. He kicked off to lunge at the demon's backside with a newly molded Excalibur in his hands.

Gray slashed across the demon's back, the edge of his cold sword shrieking against the monster's hard scales and spines and generating a shower of orange sparks. To the mage's horror, even his sharpest blade could not inflict any harm to the seemingly unstoppable beast.

The demon twisted around in midair, its yellow eyes wide and angry when they found Gray. It swiped at the mage with its left arm blades which Gray quickly blocked with Excalibur. Fin and ice soundly clashed, ringing like real metal. The heavy force of the impact sent the ice-user flying into the black abyss below.

A biting cold soon enveloped Gray and he saw nothing but black. He couldn't breathe; his nose and mouth filled with a disgusting liquid that was briny like sea water and rotten to the taste. He uselessly flailed his arms and legs in a futile attempt to fight the strong current, not knowing which way was up or down.

Chest burning, he was afraid to drown!

This fear brought back memories of that time he had nearly drowned in the ocean in the Black Ocean Gate. He remembered seeing _him_ in the turbulent depths – the great leviathan of the sea that had monstrous eyes that were green and glowing and it was heading straight for the drowning mage, its hungry jaws wide open…

Gray thought he saw a flash of green belonging to the serpent in the black void, but then he felt a powerful current push him upwards, drawing his attention away. Before his mind was completely lost to nightmares, he saw light. He landed on something hard, smooth, and cool on his side and there was blessed air to breathe again.

Shivering, he spat the rotten-tasting water out of his mouth, coughing and sputtering to get rid of it all right afterward. His stomach painfully lurched as he pushed onto his hands and knees and he ended up heaving everything he had just swallowed.

He was suddenly doused with pleasantly warm water that cleansed away the putrid water off his body and rinsed the foul taste out of his mouth.

"Is Gray all right?!" Juvia's voice sounded terrified right beside him as she repeatedly slapped his back and splashed him with her magic.

Gasping, Gray could only nod.

She proceeded to wrap her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Get ready; we're going to fall!"

It took a little while before the ice mage could register what the girl had just said. "Wh-What?" he choked out and right at that moment he finally heard the roar of a nearby waterfall.

_Wait… Waterfall?_ Gray didn't recall seeing something like that in Edelweiss…

He couldn't see clearly; his vision was blurry from the black water. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and rapidly blinked, managing to get most of the water out just in time to see the edge of the cliff fast approaching. Waiting far below was the rest of the village that was already starting to flood with darkness.

It was once again Juvia's turn to protect them. "Hold your breath!" she commanded and Gray did as he was told for he was too tired to argue.

Still holding onto the ice mage, the girl shrouded them in a bubble of clear blue water right when their glacier toppled over the falls.

Gray could sense the demon not far behind. Within his watery realm, he spotted the distorted form of the monster diving right after them, not willing to let its prey escape.

"How do you like the poison, brat?" the demon snarled, sneering in malevolent glee. "My water is toxic to all pathetic creatures such as you humans. It will not be long until you succumb and die!"

Gray felt Juvia tighten her hold in worry.

Gray, on the other hand, was more annoyed than concerned. He didn't feel any poisonous effects; only the weakness from using so much magic, the light-headedness from holding his breath, and the sickness in his stomach due to the awful taste of the black water lingering in his mouth.

Was the damn demon lying or was it because Gray had actually managed to get rid of most of the poison before it got absorbed into his body? It was likely the latter.

Trusting Juvia to take care of their landing, Gray focused on making sure the demon wasn't going to cut them to pieces once they hit the darkness at the bottom. Although his movements were restricted by Juvia's water, he successfully created a giant ice hammer outside of their bubble that swung around to hit the falling demon.

The ice weapon actually took the demon by surprise. With a grunt, the scaly brute was knocked into the black falls where it disappeared from view.

Their descent began to slow when they neared the bottom thanks to Juvia summoning tides to carry them over the dark waves. Seconds before Gray was in desperate need of air, she found the coned roof of a tower that was high and sturdy enough to stand above the demon's tides.

Again on his hands and knees, Gray was gasping.

"Gray… the poison… is it…" the water mage began.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. I don't feel anything," he grumbled, rising onto his feet which he soon noticed were bare. He whispered a curse for losing his footwear – or did he absentmindedly take them off before the battle started? He couldn't remember.

"Don't worry about me," he reassured when Juvia didn't seem to believe him. He turned his attention to what was left of Edelwiess, appalled by the scene around him. It looked like there was an endless supply of black water falling from the cliff above, filling the entire village with vile darkness that also flooded into the surrounding jungle.

Were there any people still alive? Did anyone managed to escape? How many bodies were there, floating around, trapped within buildings, or sunken to the very bottom of the deepest pits?

Gray dreaded to know the answer…

Angry, the Ice Make mage faced the evil being lurking in the shadows below.

"That bastard's gonna pay for all of this," he snarled heatedly, his hands curling into fists by his sides.

Juvia remained kneeling, her hands clasped before her chest and her frown heavy on her pale face. "What can we do?" she asked, sounding exhausted.

Gray pondered. He knelt beside her and dipped his hand in the bitter cold water rushing past them. He shuddered at the chills running up his arm, but didn't hesitate to use his magic in an attempt to freeze the darkness.

To his luck, his energy properly fused with the demon's power without a hitch. Grinning, Gray pulled out his new creation; a black crystal sword that was broad and wickedly jagged in design to match the property of the material it was made from. The sharp edges gleamed like onyx under the sun.

"Juvia, stay here," he commanded when he spotted the dorsal fin rising in the distance and heading their way.

"No, Juvia's anger is as strong as Gray's," she stated fervently, boldly standing by his side. Her glare was fixated on the creature quickly closing in. "She will not forgive the demon for destroying this village and killing all these people. It must be stopped and we will do it together." As she spoke the last part, she entwined her fingers with her partner's.

Gray nodded, understanding that they needed to work together in order to win. He squeezed her hand. "Let's blast this goddamn bastard out of the water."

"Understood!"

They both gathered there powers, concentrating their energies in the palms of their clasped hands. Aqua and frosty blue blended together to form a new harmonious shade. Ice and water, two elements that were one and the same; there was no other perfect match. This was unlike when their spells collided and merged together – this was the power of two compatible souls becoming whole to form a new powerful spell. The stronger their bond, the stronger their magic.

At this moment, their minds were connected; Gray could feel Juvia's emotions and she could feel his. They both wanted to use everything they had to bring down their foe. Sharing this same thought strengthened their power, raising it to a level that both could never reach on their own.

A bright blue aura surrounded the pair accompanied by two large magic circles rotating above them. As one, the mages of Fairy Tail raised their linked arms above their heads and released their spell in a brilliant flash of white and blue.

"Behold! This is our _Unison Raid!_" they both cried out together.

Huge, tall geysers of pure water erupted from the depths of the abyss around their tower and many more followed in an outward spiraling pattern, going as far as they could see. There was no escape for the demon; the wall of geysers caught the swimming fiend and hurled it into the air. Once each of the geysers reached their maximum height, they instantly froze and shattered into tens of thousands of ice needles, each as long as Gray was tall, that homed in on the casters' target.

The air shimmered with ice and misty water, seemingly saturated with frozen needles and clear droplets that gave rise to multiple rainbows. Each sharp point was only a diamond streak flying towards the flailing demon like fired arrows.

The chime of breaking ice was like a consistent melody as every needle pelted the demon's tough hide. The monster was tossed like a rag doll as it was hit from every direction, its roars muffled by the sound of splashing water and tinkling ice. The barrage of needles eventually turned into a rain of icicles that pummeled the brute down into its own darkness. So many icicles followed the fiend below, parting the black tides and creating a mighty splash that quickly froze solid.

The rain of needles lasted for a good minute. When it ended, all that was left was the enormous splash of black ice that surrounded the area where the demon had fallen.

Once the magic circles above them blinked away, Juvia collapsed onto both of her knees while Gray sank onto one, their breaths heavy and their bodies exhausted. But their grip on one another still remained strong.

Gray marveled at their creation sparkling under the sunlight, feeling a great sense of satisfaction. However, his elation gradually faded as the roar of the great black falls and the sound of water rushing past their tiny island continued.

The question to whether or not the demon was defeated was soon answered when laughter rumbled from deep within the icy pit.

Gray's eyes widened and his breath was caught in his throat. "N-No way…" he croaked, completely dismayed.

"Impossible…" Juvia whispered, terror marring her usually confident demeanor.

The black ice violently shook and was instantly covered in cracks. The whole structure broke apart in the next second. Chunks of dark ice floated downstream, glinting like gems.

"Was that supposed to hurt, humans?" mocked the demon, its deep voice rumbling from under the waves. The creature slowly drew closer, its scornful tone ringing loud; "Pitiful! Your weak spells cannot harm me. I have the greatest defense out of all of the Nine Demon Gates! You were foolish to oppose me in the first place. You have lost since the very beginning!"

Gray angrily spat to the side and slid his hand away from Juvia's. "Lost?" he growled, staggering to his feet with his onyx blade still equipped. His blue eyes narrowed at the dorsal fin that broke the surface meters away from where he stood. "Don't lie to us, freak. We haven't lost anything. As long as we're still alive, we can still take you down!"

The demon reared its ugly head out of the water and laughed towards the sky. "How amusing!" it remarked, bearing its sharp teeth in a sneer, "Never have I seen such foolhardiness in a human. You are truly something, brat. Something truly _inferior._"

Gray felt highly insulted. "Hey, I'm not the inferior one, _lesser demon_," he retorted.

"_Lesser?!_" the demon hissed, yellow eyes flashing with rage from the insult. "I, Torafusa, am an _Etherious _of Tartaros, brat! I am a demon from the _Book of Zeref!_"

The ice mage snorted, not the least bit impressed by the demon's rambling. "So? You expect me to be intimidated?" It was his turn to sneer wickedly. "You're all _nothing_ but insignificant little worms compared to the great demon I know."

"What?! How dare you!" Torafusa snarled, angrily pounding one of his big fists atop of the water and making a huge splash. "There is no demon greater than an Etherious!"

"There is, and he can be a goddamn pain in the ass when he's pissed. He's the true meaning of _fear_ and _evil_. You Tartaros scum can't hold a candle to him. That's why you're a _lesser_ demon."

The fish-lizard growled, but it knew better than to further lose its composure. "You speak nonsense! No such demon exists! All demons created by the great Master Zeref are superior to all life forms! _Especially humans!_" Done with arguing, Torafusa dove under the waves and charged at them.

It was all the time Gray could stall for whatever fate awaited him and Juvia.

Showing no fear or regret, the ice mage stood firmly before his partner, his black sword poised in front. He was desperately hoping that his last resort would prove effective to save them.

"Gray…" Juvia whispered.

He could sense her tears falling.

"I'll protect you –" _till the end, Juvia._ _I promise you_, he wished to add, but was cut short when the demon leapt out of the water and soared straight for him.

Without hesitation, Gray left the safety of the roof, jumping forward to meet his foe in midair. He yelled with all his might as he swung his dark sword, going for a downward vertical slash aimed at the fiend's horned, plated head. What he struck instead were the demon's fin blades as it parried his blow.

The edge of Gray's sword noisily grinded against Torafusa's fins and was forcefully knocked aside, making the mage lose his hold (and his hope) on his magic weapon. Since Gray was now too close for it to use its arms, the demon opened its jaws and went for a biting kill.

The dark-haired mage brought his right arm up to protect his neck and coated it with as much ice he could muster with the last of his magic energy. For one split second, Gray's blue eyes met Torafusa's yellow orbs, their faces inches apart. Sharp teeth snapped around the armoured limb, easily breaking through the crystal layers like they were only made of cheap glass.

Then Gray felt the teeth tear into his flesh and crunch onto bone. His pained scream was cut off when he and the demon plunged into the black water.

Again, the rotten liquid filled his mouth and he was overwhelmed by a bitter cold. He instinctively gasped for air only to choke. He punched with his free arm and kicked at the owner of the teeth that dragged him deep into the darkness, but to no avail could he break free. The pain was excruciating, feeling as if his arm was being ripped right off.

But the pain only lasted a few long seconds. Everything was turning cold and numb with every passing heartbeat. His chest was on fire and his body felt heavy. His struggling quickly came to a stop. There was no strength left in him to fight. The teeth finally let go and he began to sink.

Mocking laughter rumbled from all directions, almost deafening. Torafusa's deep voice taunted him as he drifted away; "I told you, brat. You have lost since the very beginning. All you could do was delay your death. And now, the moment has come for me to send your soul to Hades…"

The last words echoed until only a deathly silence fell upon the dark realm.

Gray continued to aimlessly drift in an empty, soundless black world; his mind lost and all senses gone. Thoughts came and went as fleeting as a heartbeat.

There was a flicker of green in the endless shadows.

**Disgraceful, **spat a familiar voice, shattering the silence. Its disdainful tone was loud, deep and hissing.

The next thing Gray knew, he was staring into an enormous pair of green eyes that had vertical slits for pupils and a malevolent glow. Lines that shone the same colour formed an intricate pattern over the giant creature's reptilian head and traced down its long, serpentine body that coiled and stretched into the deepest depths of the dark world.

**You have failed to prove your words true, child, **the serpent continued, its eyes narrowing,** And now we drift between life and death once more. The Gates of Hell lie at the bottom of this abyss, but they will not open for you nor I – not when the Anima Stone still binds us to the realm of the living. **

**But you already know this. **_**Thrice**_** you have fallen into this darkness upon your death.**

Anger burned within the serpent's gaze, making its green orbs and its pattern shine brighter. However, the light did little to illuminate the surrounding shadows. **Do you remember? That lowly wretch who claims to rule the seas of darkness has **_**slain**_** you! **

**Your power alone is **_**weak**_**. But with my power, we can annihilate all who dare to oppose you. That lesser fiend… all of Tartaros… we can slaughter them all! **

**Awaken, child, and rend your enemies without mercy! Show them the wrath of the Lord of the Seas!**

* * *

><p>AN:To re-answer a previously asked question: Will Gray have Devil Slaying magic in this? The answer is yes. Yes, he will.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Rise of the Dark Lord

**Rise of the Dark Lord**

* * *

><p>Natsu Dragneel felt a cold shiver run down his spine the moment the wind started to pick up. He faced the blowing gusts, seeing dark clouds gathering in the northern distance. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion because he was certain the sky was blue in every direction not too long ago. Dust and ash from the burnt out fires were easily swept away only to pile elsewhere in the corners of the ruins of the town's square.<p>

The Fire Dragon Slayer furrowed his brow, unnerved by the familiarity of the chilling wind and dark sky. "Anything yet?" he asked Lucy, keeping his sight towards the growing storm.

He heard the Celestial Spirit mage sigh before she, out of frustration, smacked the Communication Lacrima mounted on the remains of a wall that was once a part of the town hall. "No. Nothing," the blonde replied. "I can't reach Gray and Juvia or Lisanna and Elfman."

"I hope they're okay…" Wendy murmured in concern.

"Me too," said Happy, frowning with worry. His afro, caused by Jackal's suicidal blast, was beginning to lose its shape in the wind.

"Chances are they may have encountered a member of Tartaros as well," noted Carla.

"Yeah…" Natsu murmured, his mind troubled. He knew his friends were strong and capable of defending themselves, but the Nine Demon Gates of the Dark Guild were proving to be a difficult bunch to handle.

The five Fairies had already given their report back to Master at Fairy Tail, speaking of their success in protecting their assigned ex-councilor, the cat-like geezer named Michello. They had learned the truth behind _Face_, the Magic Council's secret weapon that could wipe out all magic in the entire continent, and the reason why Tartaros sought after the lives of the ex-councilors.

Why was such a weapon created? What did the Council intend to use it on in the first place?

Michello unfortunately didn't have the answers and when Natsu tried to persuade the old geezer to spit out everything he knew, the ex-councilor was too overwhelmed with fear that he could no longer properly speak. Right now, the elder was cowering nearby, wracked with terror to even move.

Gajeel's team was present to hear the news via a three-way link between their respective Communication Lacrimas. It was only Gray's and Elfman's teams who have yet to connect with Master and give their reports.

Lucy moved to stand beside the fire mage when she noticed his troubled expression. "What's wrong, Natsu?" she questioned, staring up the same darkening sky. "It's gotten a lot cooler all of a sudden…"

"Gray and Juvia," he began, "they went north, didn't they?"

"Yes. Their ex-councilor lives the farthest from Magnolia. That's why they took Zifur," she explained.

"With that old bat flying them, they would've reached their place first before any of us. So why haven't they contacted Master already and why can't we reach them?"

"Do you think… something happened to them?" Wendy asked tentatively, joining Natsu's other side.

He nodded at the storm brewing in the distance. "North is that way. That's where they are…"

Lucy gasped. "Then… Those clouds… Is it because…?" she trailed off, afraid of the possible truth that may have befallen their friends.

"What is it?" Wendy inquired. She looked between the sky and her two teammates, hoping to hear an answer. However, she could feel something in the air that the others couldn't feel just yet and made her own assumption. "Something powerful and dark lies in that direction…" she said meekly, shivering from the sensation, "and it continues to grow… Could it be another demon of Tartaros?"

Natsu gritted his teeth and shook his head as he started to march forward. "No… Something worse. I'm heading over there. Come on, Happy."

"Aye!" shouted the cat. The blue Exceed sprouted wings and grabbed the fire-user around the waist with his extendable tail.

"Wait, Natsu!" Lucy protested, stopping the pair an inch off the ground. "What about Michello?" she asked, gesturing to the trembling lump that used to be a stubborn old man.

"You and Wendy–"

"I will come with you, Natsu!" the Sky Dragon Slayer insisted, "If Gray and Juvia are fighting over there, they could be hurt! I can heal them!"

Natsu hesitated. Normally he wouldn't argue against the young girl's need to help others, but there was no predicting on what would happen when they reached Gray and Juvia's location. It could become very dangerous, especially if the powerful dark entity in the distance truly was what Natsu feared.

Lucy made him decide when she said, "Good idea. You guys go ahead. I'll take Michello back to the guild."

Exchanging nods, the five mages of Fairy Tail departed. Wendy with Carla and Natsu with Happy soared above the damaged town and flew towards the dark sky looming ahead of them.

Once they left the outskirts of town, Wendy asked in a worried tone, "Natsu? What did you mean by 'something worse'? You, Lucy, and Happy seem to know what's happening…"

The older Dragon Slayer stiffly clenched his jaw before replying with, "This was a while ago, but do you remember our story about the demon we called 'Stormbringer'?"

* * *

><p><strong>Awaken, child, and rend your enemies without mercy! Show them the wrath of the Lord of the Seas!<strong>

The command rang strong and loud, reverberating within his head and chest and imbuing him with a powerful hate.

He was reborn; numbness and pain were gone, replaced with an incredible, frightening power he had never thought he would miss. Every fiber in his body pulsed with invigorating strength, feeling as if he could conquer the world with a single hand and crush any foe with a finger.

No longer could he feel the cold bitterness of evil because it was now his to wield, surpassing the evil that was already present.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was not the eternal darkness but the wide, toothy sneer of the fish demon who _killed_ him. Everything that was once hidden in the black, watery depths was now visible under a green tinted light.

He saw every detail; Torafusa's tattered jacket clinging to its spines, the demon's sharp scales, its huge, deadly fin blades, and its ugly, grinning face slowly morphing into one of disbelief. He was still underwater, sinking to the bottom, with his mouth and lungs filled with the rotten liquid, but he had no need to draw air.

Lying below was the ruinous submerged village that used to be Edelweiss where the pale, ghostly souls of the dead drifted aimlessly.

The moment he locked stares with Torafusa, he immediately shot the fiend a venomous glare, making the creature flinch back with a start, its yellow lizard-eyes wide with shock.

"Wh-What is this?!" the wretched being demanded, feigning anger, "What… _What _are you?!"

The tremor in the demon's deep voice did not go unnoticed. Was it trembling in fear? Or was it shuddering from the incredible cold that was spreading throughout the black tides?

It was likely a combination of both.

Gray's only reply was the vengeful sneer twisting on his lips before he lost sight of his enemy as the surrounding water quickly turned to ice due to the frigid energy exuding from his body. Black ice encased him from head to toe in a matter of seconds and extended around him like a rapidly growing cocoon, transforming the demon's curse into his own.

Within his shell, he could sense his enemy fleeing from the ice overtaking its established territory. Every drop of water froze the instant they touched the ice, adding to the layers by multitudes. There was no escape for the demon; soon everything within Gray's vicinity will be frozen and his to control.

The crackling of freezing water echoed within the young man's ears until he could no longer hear it beyond the thick layers protecting him. The currents had stopped. Most if not all of the demon's water had likely been frozen.

With a simple thought and a twitch of his fingers, the ice trapping him shattered upon his command, breaking into fine dust and disappearing into thin air to form a hollow space for him to stand. Down on one knee, he spat out the putrid water that had filled his mouth and coughed out the rest in his lungs. The black liquid froze the instant it touched air, turning into little crystals that quietly clattered on the frozen floor.

He stood within his small space and raised his hands before him, seeing both crusted in pale ice that reached up to his elbows. The wounds he had sustained as a human had already mended, leaving no scars on his skin. He flexed his fingers, breaking the layer of frost which quickly reformed in less than a heartbeat, and smiled at the demonic power flowing through his limbs. The power was stronger than he remembered, more so than the day he had decided to seal the Black Ocean Gate and the great sea demon, Tuirehal, under ice.

Over seven years had passed since the incident, and for those seven years Tuirehal had slept in peace, gradually recovering its strength, its body nourished by Gray's blood-infused ice. Several years more, and the sea demon would likely regain all the power it had possessed before it was banished to the ocean world.

Gray didn't need to wait until then. The level of magic power he had now was more than he needed to annihilate the wretched beings of Tartaros.

He turned in the direction of his enemy, sensing the coward in the distance, stranded atop the now frozen tides. With a simple gesture of his arms, Gray forcefully parted the ice above and in front of him as if tearing a glacier into two. The onyx crystal loudly cracked and violently shifted to create a wide, steep ravine that opened to the darkening sky and stretched as far as he desired – catching his running target within his chasm.

Fresh air greeted Gray and he drew his first breath, reviving his lungs. Slowly, he exhaled, his cold breath misting in the warmer temperature that was quickly dropping due to his presence. Briefly, he gazed at the twisting black clouds, pleased to see his anger reflected in the heavens. Purplish lightning split the darkness, each flash followed by booming thunder. The wind howled within the ravine, playing with his hair and making it sound as if a giant beast was letting out a long, mighty yawn from the other side.

He began his hunt. With each step he took, new ice was left in his wake, sharp and bluish-white. The black walls and uneven floor of the ravine were armoured in pale, spiny frost as he made his way through. It didn't take long to find his opponent trapped like an animal on the other end, desperately searching for a way out.

Torafusa was scrambling up the steep ice cliff, but didn't climb very far before slipping back down. There were faint claw marks in the ice from the demon's many tries. The scaly fiend stopped in its futile efforts the instant it saw Gray. The brute faced the mage and bared its chattering teeth in a furious scowl. "Y-You…" it snarled, its voice nearly drowned out by the wind and thunder, "How do you s-still live?! H-How can this power be _yours?!_"

Gray chose not to answer and said instead, "You have awakened _him_, wretch, and now it's your turn to die."

The fish-lizard stiffened at the tone of his voice and the ferocity in his expression. It took a few wary steps back only to find its tail bumping into the dead end. "Awakened who?" the demon growled, its wide eyes flickering between the angry sky and the angry mage. It found the answer to its own question and became infuriated. "Impossible! There are no demons greater than an Etherious!" the creature hissed, rising to its full height, no longer intimidated by the other. It pointed a clawed finger at Gray. "_You!_ You're just a human _brat!_ How many lives did you sacrifice to gain the power of demons?!"

Gray stopped several meters away from his foe and deepened his glower at the wretch's question. Above, the storm worsened to match his foul mood while the surrounding temperature dropped several more degrees. "I sacrificed none," he muttered, frosted hands furled by his sides.

"L-Lies!" Torafusa managed to say in spite of the terror it truly felt under the mercy of Gray's rage. The lizard tried hard not to shiver from the frigid wind, but it was failing miserably. Its burly, bladed arms were badly shaking. "Th-There i-is no other w-way a weak human could g-gain such power. _Unless you stole it!_" Bellowing the last of its words, the demon charged.

Gray ignored the false accusation and formed a wicked sneer instead for it was time to punish this ignorant fool.

In a flash of white light, the mage molded a sword in his hands, one that was as large as Excalibur, but not as beautiful in design. The broad edges were fearsomely jagged, looking like a set of razor thin teeth that could tear through anything while the guard was made of curved spikes. And unlike Excalibur, the new sword was crafted with ice infused with Tuirehal's demonic power, making it stronger than steel and thrice as sharp.

Torafusa's movements were noticeably sluggish due to the cold. When it slashed with its right arm blades, aiming to decapitate its target, Gray simply ducked, feeling the fins cut the air over his head. The mage rushed forward to counter before the demon could even blink.

The crystal sword easily pierced through crimson scales and deep into flesh as Gray thrust his weapon into his enemy's gut. Hot blood and tissue touching the cold blade instantly froze, so when the mage yanked his weapon free, it was more damaging coming out than going in.

The Etherious's scream of agony turned into a scream of rage as it pounded both fists at its opponent in retaliation.

Gray dove to the side seconds before the demon could crush him. There was a loud _bam_ and a minor quake when his foe struck only ice, cracking both white and black.

The wounded creature sharply turned to face the mage only to collapse on its knees, one hand slamming down to hold its heavy body up and the other hand moving to cover the terrible gash on its belly. Blood as dark as its tainted water seeped between the demon's muscular fingers and splotched on the icy floor, instantly freezing on contact.

Torafusa coughed out blood and drew ragged breaths, its body shuddering with pain, cold, and anger. "_Damn… you_…" it snarled breathlessly, raising its head to glare hatefully at the other. The blood staining its scales glistened whenever lightning flashed through the skies.

In return, Gray gave the demon a smile that was neither friendly nor kind. He dispelled his blackened sword and crafted a single lance to wield in his hand. The crystal, jagged point was a half taller than his height and wickedly sharp, capable of piercing through the toughest armours.

The injured fiend released an animalistic growl and forced itself to its feet, spilling more of its blood from the exertion. "My defense…" it sputtered between labored breaths, "is still… the strongest!"

All of its spiny scales flashed silver before they suddenly flattened and hardened to became shiny and metallic. "Try me now… brat!" Torafusa challenged, not yet ready to admit defeat. Roaring with madness, the hulking creature lumbered towards the mage, holding its arms protectively in front to point its fin blades forward. Not only was it hoping to slice and ram its opponent through, it was protecting its wound as well.

_What a pathetic fool, _the thought suddenly came to Gray and he couldn't agree with it more.

After the monster took two stomping steps, the mage threw his lance.

Torafusa's 'strongest' defense did little to stop the crystalline weapon from impaling the thigh of its right leg. The brute crashed and skidded across the icy floor on its side with its metal scales screeching against ice. It slid to a stop a few feet away from the mage, moaning loudly in pain. Its pitiful whimpers turned into angry curses when it sensed Gray draw closer.

Like a cornered, injured animal, the once prideful Etherious lashed out with its claws out of desperation.

Gray had another lance made within a split second and sunk its deadly point into the demon's open palm and out the back, piercing its hand completely through. Torafusa screamed and jerked back its arm, horrified at the large, crystal weapon now stuck in its hand. Its fingers were becoming stiff and frozen from the deep chill of Gray's ice spreading through its flesh. It wouldn't be too long until its impaled arm and leg would become frozen hunks of meat.

"H-How… Impossible…" the demon groaned, writhing on the ground, its ugly face distorted in anguish. It hesitated to pull the lance out of its hand, knowing how painful the deed truly was. It cowered and violently shuddered when its yellow eyes met Gray's fierce gaze.

"Can you answer your own question? Do you know _what_ I am?" Gray asked out of amusement as he stared down at the inferior being with scorn.

"A-A _monster!_" the creature growled. It tried to awkwardly crawl backwards when the mage took a step forward for not liking the demon's reply.

"Do not compare me to the likes of you, wretch," Gray snarled, forming a new sword in his hand. This one was shorter and sleeker than the previous sword he made, more befitting for close combat.

"I-I-I've only heard of l-legends," Torafusa began to stammer, its quivering eyes shifting from the crystal blade to its owner, "L-long ago, three powerful d-demons once r-ruled the three r-regions of the world… b-but they… they were all s-slain by the armies of m-magical _humans_… _You…_ Th-This power… This is the power… of a _Dark Lord_… Th-There's no mistaking it now… H-How did an accursed human like you attain it? The Lords… they are all dead… It should be… i-impossible…"

Gray could vaguely recall the brief history about the Dark Lords from what little information Levy and Master Makorov could find in the archives at the Magic Council. Most of the information about the great demons had been lost over time, Master had surmised. Only Tuirehal was mentioned more in detail on an old scroll where it was known as the 'Dark Sea Lord' by the mages of old – the terror of the seas and the bringer of storms. Gray knew everything about the serpent, more so than any person who had ever lived, but knew nothing about the other two Dark Lords. They were likely defeated in the distant past if they were not sealed away like Tuirehal. Or they didn't even exist at all. It was a matter Gray cared little about.

"I have no reason to tell you the truth," was Gray's reply as he stood before the fallen creature. He held the sharp end of his frigid blade an inch away from the lizard's face, making it grimace. "Now, answer me, wretch: what is Tartaros after? Why kill the ex-councilors?"

Torafusa blinked in surprise and opened and closed its mouth repeatedly like a helpless fish out of water.

Impatient, Gray threatened with, "If you answer me, I can put you out of your misery a lot quicker. Stall, then I'll have to make you suffer some more."

The fiend growled at its options. "I-I will say n-nothing!" it roared, choosing to be stubborn instead. As a last resort, the Etherious attempted to swipe at Gray with its good arm, only to find a sword of ice lodged in its left shoulder. It howled in pain and writhed once more on the frozen ground, now with three icy weapons pierced into its body.

Gray crossed his arms and snorted in annoyance. "How about this, tell me the location of your headquarters and I'll ask the rest of your pathetic guild instead."

Torafusa forced a laugh through its agony, letting out ragged, breathless chortles that were grating to the ears. "D-Do… wh-whatever… you w-want," it hissed, its eyes shining with madness. Frost was spreading around its wounded shoulder and crawling up its neck. "Doesn't m-matter i-i-if y-you kill me… I'll n-never d-die!"

The mage hardened his gaze. "And why is that?"

"W-We Etherious… will always… b-be… r-reborn… after we… die…" were its final words before the ice in its blood reached its head. The light in its eyes faded into lifeless black orbs that stared into emptiness.

Gray muttered a curse as he looked upon the now dead creature, watching the ice from his weapons freeze the demon's body through and through, leaving behind a hideous, sneering statue. He was infuriated that he had learned nothing about Tartaros and their nefarious plans. But then he saw it; a flickering wisp of crimson that looked like a small, bubble of flame rising from the Etherious's corpse.

Gray snatched Torafusa's soul in his hand before it could escape. He felt the soul shudder in terror when it realized its predicament and could even hear it shriek in a tiny voice, "_What?! No! This isn't supposed to happen! Let me go, you accursed brat!"_

The mage grinned devilishly at the fiend's new distress now that it couldn't escape from him in life or death. The little evil spirit was hot like fire but instantly cooled down in the mage's grasp, fading in both light and colour. Gray imprisoned the weakened soul in a small block of ice where it dimly glowed within the thick layers of crystal, its pleas silenced.

He would have to draw out some answers from the lizard freak some other way.

Now that the battle was won, Gray's anger subsided. The storm that threatened to sunder the heavens had stopped completely, replaced by a gloomy, overcast sky within seconds.

Carrying his prisoner in one hand, he used the other to carve out steps in the nearest cliff of black ice that would take him to the top. Without looking back, the Ice Make mage left the frozen body of his adversary in the ravine.

He surveyed the new landscape the moment he stepped foot on the surface of the dark, frozen tides. The village of Edelweiss was now a desolate, wavy field of black ice dotted with debris. To the side was a giant, frozen waterfall that encompassed the entire cliff that once held one-third of the village. With no wind or thunder disturbing the land, it had gone eerily quiet and still. Even the clouds did not move.

First to greet him was Zifur, who was sitting on the surface a short distance away, its winged arms folded around its body for warmth. It appeared to have been sitting there for quite some time, waiting for the battle to end. Its five eyes found Gray in spite of being nearly blind. "Half-Lord," rasped the wyvern, giving the approaching mage a slight bow of its head in respect. "So the Lord of the Seas has awakened…"

Gray stiffly nodded even though the elderly demon couldn't really see the gesture.

"Better than to lose everything," Zifur quietly assured the mage as it unfurled its arms to reveal the huddled form under its protective wings. "There is nothing to fear now, kind Juvia."

_Juvia…_ Gray paused in his steps. How could he have forgotten her?

His hatred for Torafusa had consumed him, making him think of nothing but revenge.

She was safe, however he was overwhelmed with guilt when he saw the girl shivering in one of Zifur's big, clawed hands. She seemed terrified when her wide blue eyes saw Gray – saw what he had become. The look sent a pang in his chest and no longer could he meet her stare, his head downcast.

"G-Gray…" he heard her say in a meek tone. "It's Gray… isn't it?"

"Yeah… it's me," he answered dejectedly.

"Gray…" she sounded relieved before breaking out in tears. "J-Juvia was afraid… that you were…"

"I'm sorry…" was all he could say. "Stay there," he demanded of her when he sensed her trying to leave the safety of Zifur's hand, "Don't come any closer."

"Juvia is not afraid…"

Frowning, Gray shook his head and gazed upon her pallid face. "I am… I'm afraid of hurting you."

The girl slowly stood up, her expression one of understanding as she dabbed the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. "Juvia knows that will never happen. She is stronger than you think."

"It's not that simple…" Gray tried to reason, recalling the memory that had never happened in this timeline. He couldn't chase away the image of her completely frozen in his grip, cursed by his power.

She wasn't listening. She left Zifur's palm and proceeded to walk towards the dark-haired mage, her cold, numb hands clasped together before her chest as if in prayer.

"Juvia," Gray warned her sternly.

She didn't falter from his tone or his expression. The heels of her boots continued to clack against the ice as she drew nearer, careful not to slip. Her eyes never left his and her smile remained bold and caring.

She stopped an arm's length away, her body racked with cold, and her breath coming out in thick puffs of white mist. And yet she refused to turn back.

"Juvia… you'll freeze," Gray told her, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"O-Only if you w-want her to," she stammered through trembling lips, her smile surprisingly feeling warmer than the surrounding temperature.

"No. I would never…"

Gray couldn't help but admire Juvia's stubbornness and seemingly endless devotion in spite of the circumstances. Through thick and thin, he should have known she would stand by his side no matter what. A small smile graced his lips for only a second before he heard Natsu's voice bellowing from somewhere above.

"_Graaaaay!"_

The pair turned their heads skyward and saw Wendy, Carla, Natsu, and Happy dropping down.

All four appeared worn, with clothes singed, ripped, and messy and their hair or fur unkempt, as if they had just come out of a battle of their own. (Happy had something weird going on with the fur on his head all puffy like an afro.)

Once the Fire Dragon Slayer touched the icy ground, he ignited his arms on fire to ward off the bitter chill in the air. Steam rose from the heat of his flames and his hot breath. He deeply frowned the moment he laid eyes on Gray, worried and angry at the same time. "Shit… The hell happened here?" he demanded, keeping his narrowed sight on the Ice Make mage as a precaution. "Gray, are you… Is Stormbringer back?"

Gray faced his rival and friend. "He's awake and he's very unhappy," he replied coolly, slightly easing the tension Natsu was feeling. His attention fell on the Sky Dragon Slayer next to the fire mage, giving the girl a start. Wendy noticeably stiffened under his stare, but he was quick to ignore her reaction. "Wendy, please heal Juvia. She's wounded."

The young girl gasped and nodded curtly, no longer daunted by Gray's transformation. She rushed over to Juvia's side and immediately began to inquire on the water mage's injuries. While Wendy worked, Gray backed away and motioned for Natsu to keep the girls warm.

The Ice Make mage moved to stand apart from his friends to lessen the severity of the cold they felt and to slow the spread of ice from reaching their feet.

"So… what happened?" Natsu asked again, standing before the others to act as a heat barrier against Gray's frigid power.

The dark-haired mage tossed the block of ice in his hand up in the air a few times, making it spin with each throw. "_This _is what happened," he snarled, indicating to the trapped soul he held. He caught the ice one last time and glared vehemently at the faint red light within. He was certain the spirit could sense his hatred through the layers because he could feel it suddenly shudder.

"Torafusa is this wretch's name. An Etherious and a member of the Nine Demon Gates. All this black ice around us used to be a cursed sea of tainted water," he began before he went on to explain the rest from the very beginning.

They all quietly listened. No one dared to interrupt.

"What do you plan to do now?" Natsu questioned after hearing all the details Gray was willing to share.

The ice mage gazed upon the feeble soul of his enemy glowing within its icy prison. Slowly, a cruel smile twisted on his lips. "I'm going to find Tartaros and kill them all."

* * *

><p>AN: Who doesn't love demons?

Thanks for reading!


	5. The Calm before the Storm

**A/N: **Apparently Torafusa's name has been translated to "Torafuzar" and I'm not a big fan of that. Mr. Lizard-shark is still "Torafusa" to me and he shall remain as such.

* * *

><p><strong>The Calm before the Storm<strong>

* * *

><p>Out in the uncharted ocean, far west of Fiore, lies a hidden island buried in snow and ice. It was guarded by enormous, treacherous glaciers that stretched tens of kilometers out at sea while the frozen land itself was constantly ravaged by a never-ending storm. From dusk till dawn, the dark twisting skies roared with thunder and flashed with purple lightning while strong wintry winds blew snow and hail. For over seven years, the storm had never stopped to keep unwanted visitors from ever stepping foot on the island.<p>

Beneath the multitude layers of snow and ice was a giant temple-palace carved in magical ice. Sealed within the thick, icy walls was a dark entity destined to sleep for eternity. However, evil had a way of ruining the peace and that dark entity was forced to awaken, stirred from slumber by the death of its other half and the powerful need for vengeance upon its resurrection.

From deep within the seal of crimson ice, a pair of large, green eyes appeared, shining bright and sinister in the darkness. Lines of green flashed under the red crystal, tracing an intricate pattern over the waking entity's head and long, serpentine body. The whole temple-palace rumbled as the creature's power began to rise, fueled by a powerful hatred. Cracks formed on the crimson surface, spreading like lightning for the blood seal was no longer capable of keeping the dark one contained.

The red ice shattered like fragile glass, pieces thrown in all directions, and Tuirehal, the Dark Lord of the Sea, was free. The great demon snapped its muscled, reptilian jaws, thrilled by the resounding clack of its many needle-pointed teeth striking together, all fangs regrown. And its body; it was strong and whole and made of living scales and flesh once more. It raised its head high with newfound vigor, feeling its mighty, fearsome power nearly restored to what it once was during a time it had ruled the oceans.

It was a delightful feeling that overwhelmed the demon, however, its elation was short-lived. It turned its horned head, green eyes narrowing in the pitch-black chamber, focusing not on the motifs carved into the frozen walls, but on what it could sense beyond it, across the vast ocean on a distant land. It was its other half, the human who shared a part of its soul. The serpent could feel the child's hatred for the lowly fiend that _killed_ him.

The demon let out a furious snarl; vile fiends – pitiful _lesser demons_ – wished to wreak havoc on _its_ world. There was no evil greater than the Dark Lord of the Sea – _it_ was the true bringer of fear, death, and chaos. No other wretched being could ever stand on the same level as the mighty leviathan!

Green, reptilian eyes fell on the giant, heavy doors of ice marked with the crimson symbol of Fairy Tail. It was time for Tuirehal to leave its sanctuary.

* * *

><p>Gray ignored the grim and horrified looks coming from his friends, too intent on the pitiful soul in his clutches. He crushed the ice block with ease, crumbling it into crystal dust to release the trapped soul. Frozen fingers curled around the crimson spirit of the Etherious demon, Torafusa, which burned as weakly as a dying ember.<p>

"Speak," demanded the ice mage, raising the wretched soul to eye level. "I'm giving you a second chance to tell me what Tartaros is after."

Torafusa didn't answer right away, making the other snarl with impatience. Icy fingers twitched, wanting to snuff out the puny spirit out of spite. Sensing the mage's cold fury, the soul violently shuddered and began to squeak like a frightened mouse. But its tiny, stuttering voice was barely audible.

"They want to activate _Face_," Natsu answered unexpectedly before Gray could threaten the soul any further. The Dragon Slayer went on to explain what his team had learned from the ex-councilor they managed to protect from the Etherious named Jackal, the one responsible for attacking the Magic Council and killing most of its members last week.

"That's what you damn bastards want, isn't it?" Salamander growled as he glared at the soul in Gray's hand, his fires burning hotter with rage, "To wipe out all the magic on this continent to render us helpless?"

The Etherious dared to laugh, its voice shrill and squeaky. "_Foolish human!_" it spat, "_We plan to wipe out your pathetic race so we Etherious would rule this land!_"

"_You_…" the Dragon Slayer seethed, whole body erupting in fire. Juvia, Wendy, and the Exceeds had to jump away to avoid getting singed. The ice around the fire mage began to steam and melt, forming a pool of water tainted with black.

"Natsu! You're sinking!" cried Happy as the ice quickly turned to liquid right under the Dragon Slayer's feet.

With a startled yelp, Natsu reduced his fires back to only his arms and hopped out of the dark, slushy pool a few seconds before the water refroze.

Gray scowled hatefully at Torafusa and Tartaros's nefarious plan. "Where is your headquarters?" he demanded the soul.

Torafusa mumbled something Gray couldn't hear.

"Speak up," the ice-mage hissed, eyes narrowing into slits.

The soul shuddered under the mage's fierce glower. "_I… I will tell you nothing!_" Torafusa shrieked defiantly. Even when its fragile existence was at the mercy of Gray, the pathetic creature still had the guts to resist.

Under different circumstances, the Ice Make mage would have been a little impressed by the demon's bold act against its enemy, but right now, failing to answer Gray's demands truly tested the young man's patience.

The dark-haired mage couldn't let his anger overwhelm him; not when his friends were around and he had the ability to summon a powerful ice storm the instant he lost his cool. From the periphery of his vision, he noticed Natsu tensing up when the temperature suddenly dropped a few more degrees from the ice-user's foul mood.

Gray took a slow, deep breath to stay calm and thought of an idea. He sneered cruelly at the pitiful being shivering in the palm of his hand. "Very well then," he said nonchalantly and held out the soul in Zifur's direction. "I gave you a chance, lizard-freak, but I guess I'll just do this the easy way. Zifur," the winged demon huddled behind Natsu and the others perked up at the sound of its name, "I have a snack for you. Absorb this wretched thing's knowledge and tell me all about Tartaros."

The partially blind wyvern hummed as it smacked its hungry jaws and got up. It began to stomp over to Gray, forcing everyone to scramble out of the way to avoid getting trampled. "Ah, I cannot remember the last time I have feasted upon a powerful soul of malice," mused Zifur. It licked its browning teeth, its mouth salivating. "This will be a rare treat. I will savour every moment of it."

Torafusa's spirit flickered wildly as it began to panic. It wanted to flee, but it was too weak to escape the intense cold and the ice mage's greater power. It started to whimper incoherently and when Zifur stopped before the young man, its maw wide and going in to chomp down on its snack, the soul finally broke. "_Nonononononono! Not like this!_ _Not like this! Waitwaitwaitwait!_" the Etherious stammered in its squeaky voice.

Gray pulled back a second before Zifur could take a bite out of his arm. Disappointment crossed the wyvern's face when it was denied its promised meal, but it made no complaint.

"Speak now," the mage commanded in a stern tone, "Or else I'm going to change my mind."

Torafusa hesitated before stuttering badly, "_Y-You… I… I… It's… n-never…never never…_"

Sighing in annoyance, Gray held out the soul again. "Eat him," he ordered Zifur.

"_No! Wait! It's in the sky! In the sky!"_

Again, the ice-user yanked back before losing his arm.

"And what's in the sky?" Gray questioned, scanning the gloomy clouds above. Natsu and the others were doing the same, warily searching the sky for what exactly, they weren't quite sure yet.

"_H-H-Headquarters…_" the lizard demon murmured in defeat. "_T-Tartaros is in the sky…_"

"What?" exclaimed Natsu, raising an eyebrow. He searched the heavens again. "Their base is floating somewhere up _there?_ How's that possible?"

"Could it be a floating island?" suggested Carla, staying warm in Wendy's arms.

"Maybe an airship," said the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Which is it?" Gray demanded his prisoner.

The Etherious grumbled, "_It is… It is an island…that defies gravity…_"

"And where is it?"

"_I don't know –_"

"_Where_ is it?!" the ice mage snapped, purposely letting his anger show. Ice crackled as more spread out from around his bare feet, forming crystal spines that grew large and sharp with each passing heartbeat. The clouds turned a darker shade and the wind began to pick up, blowing freezing gusts that chilled Gray's friends.

Zifur grimaced and took a few tentative steps back. Natsu growled and increased the size of his flames to ward off the cold and to keep the others warm. "Hey, calm down, you dumbass!" he shouted at the Ice Make mage.

Wendy gulped. "Saying that isn't going to calm Gray down, Natsu!" she whispered nervously.

"So this is the power that you spoke of…" murmured Carla, her voice quivering, "It's incredible and frightening at the same time…"

"Shh! Carla!" hushed the young girl, always caring about everyone's feelings.

Gray ignored them. His eyes were boring into the shivering, flickering light trapped within his palm. He was on the verge of putting the worthless being out of its misery and he made certain to show his intention.

"_I-I don't know where exactly!_" Torafusa answered in haste, "_It's always moving – never in one location._"

"But you still know where it is, don't you?" the ice-user snarled, squeezing the soul just enough to make it squeal. "You were heading there right after I killed you, weren't you?"

The crimson spirit visibly paled. "_Wha – n-no–" _

"Don't lie."

The soul dimmed from the calm yet dangerous edge in Gray's tone. "_Y-Yes… until _you_ interfered, brat!_"

The mage's smile was most unkind. "Not entirely my fault. You were too slow to get away, wretch. Zifur, can you sense where it is?"

The half-blind wyvern shook its head. "I am afraid not, Half-Lord, nor do I sense any other demons. They must be hiding in their lair."

Gray snorted and lessened his hold on the soul by a fraction. "You, lead me to your headquarters."

Torafusa whimpered and said nothing, either too afraid to comply or too loyal to betray its guild.

Gray decided to make a deal. "You want to be reborn, right? Not be a helpless, wandering soul forever? Show me your headquarters and I'll let you free to do whatever you want."

"Uh, you sure that's a good idea?" Happy questioned, voicing the same unease that crossed everyone's minds.

The soul made an odd strangling noise as it struggled to speak. "_I-I… I… never… never never… Curse you… Curse you! You think I will allow you to destroy Tartaros and all we have accomplished for our Master and Lord Zeref?!_"

The Ice Make mage sneered wickedly. "How disappointing. Zifur," he held out the Etherious, "he's all yours."

The wyvern's throat rumbled as it stepped forward. "At last. Time to satisfy my growing hunger," it said, brown teeth glinting in the light of Natsu's fires.

Torafusa violently shook in the mage's hand, its light flickering madly. "_Nonononono! Okay! Okay! I'll do it! Stop! I'll do it!_"

This time Zifur's teeth grazed the frost on Gray's arm before he could pull back in time. Smacking its empty jaws, the wyvern groaned and actually pouted at being tricked yet again.

"Sorry," Gray apologized to the old demon, "But it seems this wretch will still be of use to me. Juvia can give you some of her buns."

"I am afraid those delectable buns have all perished," said the wyvern, hanging its horned head in a sad display.

Juvia soundly gasped. "You lost Juvia's picnic basket?!" she exclaimed.

"No, I ate it. Not a minute after the Half-Lord and Lady Juvia left to search the village."

"You ate all of Juvia's food _and_ the basket?!" the water mage cried, hands cupping her cheeks in shock.

Zifur tilted its head. "Basket? Whatever your delicious buns were sitting in, I ate it too. A bit dry and tasteless, but it had a pleasing crunch to it."

Juvia sank to her knees, heartbroken. Wendy was quick to join her side, gently rubbing the older mage's back in hope of making her feel better. "Juvia put all her love in that picnic…" the water mage sobbed into her hands.

It suddenly began to rain due to Juvia crying. However, because of the freezing temperature, the raindrops froze on their way to earth, turning into sleet that pelted the group.

"Ah! Juvia! Stop!" Happy cried, shielding his head from the falling slush.

"Juvia," said Gray, needing to shift his body to break away the layer of ice accumulating on his body from the sleet.

His partner stiffened from his stern tone. The sleet stopped and she lifted her head to look at him with reddened eyes.

"Go back to Magnolia with Natsu and Wendy–"

"Hey, wait!" the Fire Dragon Slayer interrupted with an angry roar, making the ice mage pause. He rounded Zifur and marched towards Gray, hands curled into fiery fists. He stopped an arm's length away from his rival, his dark eyes serious. Wisps of steam billowed between them as heat and cold air collided in a silent battle. "You're not going to fight Tartaros without me, Gray."

The Ice Make mage glared at the other in annoyance. "I can do this alone, Natsu. You'll only get in my way," he said evenly.

Natsu snorted angrily. "No. You can't do this alone, idiot."

"Yes, I can, moron," Gray snapped. He raised his free hand and clenched it, soundly shattering the frost layer to make his point clear. "I now have the power to destroy Tartaros's base and wipe them all out. I am going to make them _pay _for everything they have done!" He gestured to the frozen landscape where the cursed black ice was now mostly covered in a layer of whitish-blue. There was once a lively village below their feet, but now most of the people were likely all dead; drowned and poisoned by the black water summoned by the wretched Etherious named Torafusa.

Gray held up the shivering soul, fingers nearly snuffing the light out as the memory of his and Juvia's struggling battle flashed in his mind. "These bastards are strong," he continued, snarling his words, "but they are _nothing_ against me. That's why it's best I fight them alone. No one else will get hurt."

The Dragon Slayer took a step forward to close the distance between them and now they stood face-to-face. Natsu steeled against the ice mage's glower through the thick wisps of rising steam. "You're not doing this alone," he said again, unfazed by the intense chill coming from Gray's body. "You've never trained with Stormbringer's power. What if you lose control over it? What if it takes over you? I'm coming with you whether you like it or not to make sure you keep your damn head straight."

The Ice Make mage scoffed. It was true he never had a chance to train with Tuirehal's power; to test his limits and to see what he was truly capable of. He knew he had to be careful using his demonically-enhanced magic, especially around others. One mistake – if he was driven over the edge and into a fit of uncontrollable rage – could result in the same situation he was standing upon where the land, once lush, green, and full of life, would turn into a dead, frozen wasteland. Except it would be more than just the size of a village. Worst yet, he had no control over the cold energy that seeped from his body like a curse. Wherever he went, the surrounding temperature would instantly drop to freezing and frost would spread around him, creating a frozen world.

But Tartaros was located on an island somewhere in the sky. He didn't have to worry about going overboard with his power so long as no one he cared about was around to get caught in it.

Gray was about to argue when Wendy interrupted.

"I-I'm coming too!" she said tentatively, cautiously peeking around Natsu with Carla still in her arms. She shrank back when Gray's glare fell on her; however, she wasn't too intimidated to continue, "If anything goes wrong, I can heal! We haven't heard from Lisanna and Elfman… Something might have happened to them. If they've been captured, I can help!"

"Captured?" the ice mage questioned in surprise. He directed his attention to Torafusa, anger rising. "Does your kind take prisoners?" he snarled.

The soul muttered something.

"What? Speak up!"

Natsu growled at the tiny soul in Gray's palm, his expression matching Gray's. "Bastard says they do."

The Etherious started to giggle nervously. "_Kyoka… She loves to torture information out of prisoners. And if it's not torture they endure, then its experimentation. Useless weaklings are transformed into dark creatures to join our ranks!_"

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed in horror. He cursed, fangs bared. "Sick bastards! Gray, we need to hurry. If Lisanna and Elfman really are captured, we need to save them!" He hardened his gaze before the other could protest. "And you _need_ us. You can't fight and protect at the same time with your demon powers so don't fucking argue with me."

Gray huffed indignantly at Natsu's goddamn point, blowing frosty air in the other's sweltering face. "Fine," he grumbled, running a frosty hand through his hair out of exasperation.

Natsu grinned and smacked his flaming fists together. "Alright! Let's kick some ass!" he shouted and glanced at the others.

Wendy and Carla smiled and nodded, their expressions bold and determined. Happy cheered enthusiastically, looking rather odd with his afro starting to lose its shape.

Juvia smiled warmly when her blue eyes met Gray's green. "Juvia will not leave Gray," she said quietly as she walked up to him. Her expression became fearless when she stopped before her partner, her body aglow from Natsu's magic. Her eyes were like the deep blue ocean that sparkled under the light of the burning sun. "Juvia will continue to fight Tartaros. She will not go back without you."

The Ice Make mage clenched his jaw and frowned in worry. No, he shouldn't worry – Juvia was a strong mage and he was well aware of this. She had proven it time and time again. Then why couldn't he shake away the feeling that she was putting her life in danger?

Perhaps because _he_ was the real danger. The image of her frozen in his grip would not go away.

"Juvia, please be careful around me. Don't touch me, okay?" he warned her and she nodded sadly in return, understanding what could happen. He gave everyone the same warning before saying, "Let's get moving then. Everyone on Zifur."

Zifur dropped onto its knees and elbows for Fairy Tail to climb upon its broad back. Since it was Wendy's and Carla's first time to meet the ancient demon, they were a little hesitant to jump on board until Juvia told them how friendly the old beast really was.

The girls and Happy huddled around the middle of the wyvern's back while Gray stood between its shoulders with the reins frozen in his hand. Pale frost was quickly spreading up the demon's long, maned neck and down its winged arms, making the demon shiver. Seated cross-legged behind the ice mage was Natsu who was still ablaze to keep the demon from completely freezing over and to act as a heat barrier for the others. Shortly before hopping onto Zifur's back, he had taken a few motion-sickness pills that one pirate reindeer doctor had made for him a long time ago. A miraculous drug for the Dragon Slayer, the motion sickness pills made Natsu no longer hate riding on vehicles and other forms of transportation that wasn't Happy.

"Sorry about the cold," said Gray to his blind friend.

Zifur let out a raspy laugh and shook its head, shaking off most of the frost that had accumulated. "No apology needed," it replied as it stood up, "I will always serve you, Half-Lord, no matter the conditions."

"Thank you," mumbled the ice mage, truly grateful for the wyvern's devotion.

"Hey, no worries," Natsu spoke up with a smirk, "I'll keep the old bat hot and toasty." He puffed out some flames to warm up the demon's arms. Dull gray scales shimmered in the heat and Zifur seemed rather pleased.

Gray pulled on Zifur's reins and the demon leapt off the ice and flapped its mighty wings to quickly gain altitude.

The mountains and frozen village shrank below them as they rose, showing the range of damage caused by Torafusa's tainted water. Black ice covered most of the jungle surrounding the village of Edelweiss. There was nothing visible left of the village, only the ugly black taint layered with spiny, pale frost. It was as if the village and the people never existed at all and seeing that turned Gray's mood bitter.

The sky darkened and rumbled with thunder as Zifur hovered below the twisting clouds.

Gray unfurled his icy fingers that held Torafusa's soul. "You," he sharply addressed the Etherious, "show us the way. If you lead us astray, my promise to let you free will no longer hold and you will greatly _regret _wasting our time. Do you understand, wretch?"

The pale, pitiful soul shuddered under Gray's fierce glower. "_We Etherious… when reduced to souls, we are always drawn to Tartaros's headquarters. There is no deceiving you, brat, no matter how much I _want _to._"

The dark-haired mage sneered at its defeated tone. "Good." He tossed the spirit high into the air.

Torafusa, now free from Gray's chilling grasp, flared into a brighter, vibrant light that flickered and burned like a healthy, crimson flame. Then, without a second of hesitation, the soul fled from Fairy Tail like a frightened animal. It soared as fast as an arrow, heading south in terror.

Green eyes locked on the fleeing red light in the distance, Gray snapped Zifur's reins and began their pursuit.

* * *

><p>It felt like an eternity until Torafusa entered the world of blue. The liquid in the Resurrection Tank was usually warm, but the cold – the horrible, icy chill the Etherious had suffered through during its imprisonment – didn't seem to go away. The cold lingered. It had penetrated to the soul's core and now the Etherious could never forget it.<p>

Despite the warmth surrounding it, Torafusa shivered uncontrollably. It needed to warn everyone about the accursed brat and its fearsome power, but it couldn't leave the tank.

A familiar childish face suddenly pressed against the glass to peer at the soul stuck within. "Whaaat? You lost too, Torafusa?" sighed the rabbit-eared Lamy. She twisted her expression into an angry pout. "Boo! You males can't seem to do anything right! Kyoka and Seilah did perfectly fine on their missions."

"_Lamy!_" shouted the soul urgently, but the other Etherious didn't pay any attention to it.

The bunny demon pulled away and started to spin in circles in front of Torafusa's tank. She hummed in thought. "What sort of new body should I give you and Jackal?" she pondered to herself as she spun around and around on her toes.

"_Lamy! Listen to me! They're coming! Warn Mard Geer!_" Torafusa growled, but again, the girl ignored the soul. Could she not hear Torafusa behind the glass? The spirit tried several more times to gain Lamy's attention, but the result was the same.

She smacked her face against the glass again, her narrowed eyes glinting mischievously and her lips twisted into a wide, drooling smile. "Hee hee! I know! I'll give you a sexy, beefy bod! Long, flowing, majestic hair. A gorgeous face, much better looking than that ugly lizard mug you had before! Yeah! Yeah! Mmm, tanned skin too… Oh! So hot!"

"_No!_" Torafusa screamed. It didn't want an attractive body, it desired a stronger one; strong enough to withstand the terrible cold that would soon be upon them.

Lamy started to punch in a combination of commands on the tank's console to add the components into the liquid that were necessary to build a new body for the defeated Etherious. She clapped happily. "Oh, you're going to be pretty this time, Torafusa! Prettier than that hideous thing!" She looked disgusted at another tank that was out of Torafusa's line of sight.

The soul cursed its fate multiple times. Mard Geer was not going to be happy with Torafusa for leading the enemies to their base. The Underworld King was most likely going to be _furious_, an emotion rarely seen on the current leader of Tartaros. Perhaps that rage would be enough to defeat the accursed brat and his terrible power. Mard Geer was unstoppable when he was angry. Or better yet, if Mard Geer could awaken Master E.N.D. then there would be no competition at all, but complete annihilation!

No, Master E.N.D. may not even be necessary. Silver, the _Ice Devil Slayer_. As the name implied, the Ice Devil Slayer would be most effective against the demonic boy and his foul ice. It was the perfect match-up. There was no way Silver would lose!

If Torafusa still had a mouth, it would be grinning in vengeance. It knew the Devil Slayer wouldn't miss the opportunity to slay a powerful, ancient demon lord. It had high hopes for the other member of the Nine Demon Gates.

There was a loud explosion followed by the whole building suddenly shaking, making objects noisily rattle and consoles beep. Lamy fell to the floor with a yelp of surprise. "What was that?!" she cried and ran off in search of answers.

Torafusa shivered, knowing full well what the source of the commotion was. It could already feel the awful cold as if the accursed brat's frozen fingers were still keeping it trapped. Soon, the horrible feeling would disappear. It had to. The demonic boy and his friends were all going to die for invading Tartaros's mighty fortress.

* * *

><p>AN: Been feeling down in the dumps lately, but writing this sort of cheered me up. I hope it cheered you up too.


End file.
